Topsy-Turvy

Topsy-Turvy (2000) starring Jim Broadbent, Allan Corduner, Lesley Manville, Eleanor David, Ron Cook, Timothy Spall. In 1884, famed composers Gilbert and Sullivan (Broadbent and Corduner) come to a creative impasse. The logjam is broken when the idea for The Mikado comes to Gilbert. This movie is a delight to watch, with many fine small touches that make the Victorian setting come alive. It brings to life two men who were great celebrities in their time, and whose work is still performed. It shows us a very thin slice of Victorian life and times, and what it might have been like to live during that time and perhaps go to the theater. (The English subtitles are good, although they are hard to find and at times hard to read.) Grade: A-