Critic Reviews
Topsy-Turvy (1999) Rank 3 Reviews
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based on (56) reviews
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Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)
At 160 minutes, it's a bit long and uneventful for anyone who is not at least a moderate fan of the musicals. ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at Seattle Post-Intelligencer (William Arnold)
Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Mike Leigh's "Topsy-Turvy" is a visually sumptuous film about the last phase of the partnership between William Schwenk Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, the respective lyricist and composer who, from 1871 to 1896, wrote 14 operettas that ruled the London ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at Q Network Film Desk (James Kendrick)
Scott Renshaw
When TOPSYTURVY finally hits its stride, with Gilbert's visit to the exposition, it's an extraordinarily entertaining piece of work. Leigh dives into the preproduction process with gusto, exploring every possible element of a theater company's work. The ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at Scott Renshaw
Lobo Howls (Judith Wolfe)
British writer, director Mike Leigh ( Life is Sweet, Naked, Secrets and Lies) historically has a boot camp approach to rehearsing with his actors and many parts of his scripts are created out of the improvisations that occur during these sessions. ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at Lobo Howls (Judith Wolfe)
Mr. Showbiz (Michael Atkinson)
Topsy-Turvy is flawless, borne along by a savagely witty screenplay that Leigh directs like the gears of a clock. ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at Mr. Showbiz (Michael Atkinson)
DVDTown.com (John J. Puccio)
...should be seen by anyone, regardless of age, who appreciates a good story, good acting, and good music. ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at DVDTown.com (John J. Puccio)
New York Times (Janet Maslin)
One of those films that create a mix of erudition, pageantry and delectable acting opportunities, much as Shakespeare in Love did last year. ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at New York Times (Janet Maslin)
Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
A bit longer than it might be, a bit more attached to its digressions than we might wish. But the length does encourage the feeling that we've been through the whole creative process with Gilbert and Sullivan . ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
The performances cut deeper than usual for costume films, and the actors once again seem to literally become who they're playing. ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Turan)
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
On a certain level, this is one of Mike Leigh's most challenging productions. Not only has he produced a narrative feature based on real events and historical figures, but he has elected to stage significant portions of Gilbert and Sullivan ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
filmcritic.com (Robert Marley)
One of my earliest childhood remembrances was watching a performance of H.M.S. Pinafore. I thought it was really neat. ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at filmcritic.com (Robert Marley)
New York Post (Jonathan Foreman)
A charming, warm, witty movie, funny one minute and moving the next. ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at New York Post (Jonathan Foreman)
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Over the course of their famous partnership, which lasted from 1871 until 1896, the team of William Gilbert (librettist) and Arthur Sullivan (composer) produced 14 operettas, including such classics as "The Pirates of Penzance", "The Mikado", and "The Gon ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Steve Rhodes
TOPSYTURVY, an homage to the business of show business and to Gilbert and Sullivan operas, is a surprising work by writer/director Mike Leigh, an intense filmmaker best known for edgy dramas like NAKED and SECRETS AND LIES. Set in London in 1884, ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at Steve Rhodes
TV Guide (Maitland McDonagh)
A loving, gently funny and slightly claustrophobic tribute to theatrical life. ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at TV Guide (Maitland McDonagh)
Scott Renshaw's Screening Room (Scott Renshaw)
It's an extraordinarily entertaining piece of work. ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at Scott Renshaw's Screening Room (Scott Renshaw)
Movie Hell (Michael J. Legeros)
TOPSY TURVY is an explosion of absorbing period detail. Too bad it takes a good hour-and-a-half for writer/director Mike Leigh's story of Gilbert, Sullivan, and "The Mikado" to finally hits its comically dramatic stride. For the butt-numbing first half ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at Movie Hell (Michael J. Legeros)
Boston Globe (Jay Carr)
In the end, it's the snatches of music, mangled as it is, and the mechanics of staging it, in the absence of Leigh's usual raw, urgent psychic collisions, that keep Topsy-Turvy from seeming merely a gorgeous wax museum. ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at Boston Globe (Jay Carr)
Cinematter (Matt Williams)
Mike Leigh directs this period piece about Gilbert and Sullivan and the creation of their most famous comic opera, The Mikado. Timothy Spall, Alison Steadman, Jim Broadbent and Lesley Manville star. Capsule Review : Interesting, but way overlong. The ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at Cinematter (Matt Williams)
Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
Like all of director Mike Leigh's films, his critics' fave about the making of Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado was not conventionally made; there was no set script, and its story was developed through extensive rehearsals with the cast (Leigh was ...read the complete Topsy-Turvy movie review at Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
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