nealjgauger

Topsy-Turvy is the latest from British writer/director Mike Leigh (Secrets and Lies), telling the story of famed operetta collaborators W.S. Gilbert (lyrics)and Arthur Sullivan (music) during the time directly before, during, and after the production of their famed The Mikado. A fan of much of their work, especially The Mikado (I've performed it twice and know every note of every song), I was actually quite excited to see this film. All in all, after three hours and a bit longer, I emerged with a sore back, but, at the same time, the memories of a great film in my head. Leigh's rich visuals are warm, vibrant, and full of color, a style of direction which is a large departure from his usual fare. Actors Jim Broadbent (Gilbert) and Allan Corduner (Sullivan) obviously did their homework in researching bring their characters to life. They do so with pinpoint accuracy here, demonstrating their quirks, whether Gilbert's monotone delivery laced with biting wit, to Sullivan's constantly smoking, party boy manner. What made this film so great, was its refusal to turn into a biopic (a failure of 1999's Man On The Moon). Instead of showing famed scenes well known from G&S history, this film, rather, in the best sense of wording, is an 1800's slice of life piece. It's loosely centered upon The Mikado, but mostly looks into the inter-personal relationships between those that work together. Perhaps a little cutting could have saved me a trip to the chiropractor, but, hey, if that's the largest problem, you can't really complain. Be sure to catch this on video, as it's not going to get past most arthouse theatres. It's a shame too; these luxurious visuals deserve to be seen on a large screen.

This film was written in 1935 by screenwriter Endre Bohem shortly before his death. He never completed the script. It sat on a shelf in his archives for 55 years. Finally in 1990, his son, Leslie Bohem, found it and immediately fell in love with the concept. He completed the script, updated it for a more modern audience, and filmed it with director Keva Rosenfeld. In the film, a $20 bill is minted and sent to a bank. A mother with her hands full uses an ATM machine, drops the bill in her hassle, and the story begins. The rest of this film follows the bill through the hands of 12 complete strangers who, through various ways, pass the bill to one another. Along the way, the note weaves in and out of the lives of a street person, an aspiring writer, two thieves (a hilarious Steve Bucemi and Christopher Lloyd), and a stripper who also...well, I won't ruin it for you.

However, besides the inventive concept, it is fun to see many of today's brightest stars, when they were just starting out in the industry. Look for such faces as David Schwimmer(NBC's "Friends"), Elisabeth Shue(Leaving Las Vegas), William H. Macy(Fargo, Wag the Dog), Brendan Fraser(The Scout, George of the Jungle), and Steve Bucemi(Reservoir Dogs, The Big Lebowski).

This is a great film to watch with a group of friends. One tip, though. Don't keep pausing the film, or you might lose track of who has the bill.