Topsy-Turvy
Dir: Mike Leigh
1999
*****
I remember reading an interview with Mike Leigh about Topsy-Turvy. He had been quite successful universally with Secrets & Lies and found himself in a position that he had enough money and support to indulge himself in a life-long dream of making a film about Gilbert and Sullivan and their 1884 production of The Mikado. Indulge he does. The budget is quite obviously bigger than he's used to and the feel of this film isn't quite what you'd expect from the director but saying that, it's just as good as his previous work, if not better. The indulgence doesn't just end with the director, this is a joy from beginning to end, the performances are brilliant and the script is hilarious. I can't recommend this enough, even to people who may not care for Leigh's usual film style. It is a crime that it wasn't nominated for more than it was and didn't win what it was nominated for (apart from 2 Oscars for make-up and costume design which it certainly deserved).