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Everyone is making 3 hour movies of late, and while I have yet
to see the notoriously long Magnolia or The Green Mile, I did see
Mike Leigh's new film, Topsy Turvy. It is, unsurprisingly,
overlong and could have been trimmed in simple fashion - by
lopping off the completely unnecessary first third. Thereafter,
you would have an elegant two hour insight into the machinery of
creating and presenting a musical in 1880s England (specifically,
Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Mikado"). Leigh's
observations are witty, poignant and informative. Unfortunately,
the film is larded down by wholly unnecessary scenes, including
an overlong exposition of a rift between Gilbert and Sullivan;
introduction of Gilbert's parents, who have absolutely nothing to
do with the plot or, it seems, Gilbert; and detailed coverage of
the business side of the duo's arrangment with the Savoy Theatre.
As it is, by the time you get to the stride of the film, you
are impatient and exhausted, the musical production of "The
Mikado" itself is a bit tiring (Leigh insists on putting the
audience not only through several interesting "Mikado"
numbers, but through a few uninteresting numbers from prior
Gilbert and Sullivan productions), and the characterization of
the craft of playmaking, writing, scoring and rehearsing is more
tedious that it should be.
Definitely a nominee for best costume and art direction, I can
only recommend this film on video for those who like to watch
movies over three nights, or for afficionados of "the
theatuuuuuh!."
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