Topsy-Turvy
1999 · Movie · R · 160 min · ★ 6.6 · 90% critics
In 1880s London, a celebrated theatre partnership hits a slump when a new show underperforms and tensions rise behind the scenes. Searching for fresh inspiration, they look to Japanese culture and throw themselves into rehearsals, rivalries, and creative compromises to build a bold new comic opera that could win audiences back.
Where to watch
Streaming on HBO Max.
3 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 1999
- Release date
- 1999-12-15
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 160 min
- Critic score
- 90/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.6/10 (166 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you like theatre-world stories, Victorian-era settings, and lots of operetta performed on screen, with humor and personality clashes; Not for you if long runtimes and stage-heavy plots test your patience, like in Nashville.
Pros: lively backstage energy; memorable musical moments; rich period detail | Cons: very long runtime; uneven early pacing; hard-to-hear dialogue
Themes
- london, england
- prostitute
- musical
- biography
- cigar smoking
- drink
- lyricist
- exhibition
- playing piano
- 19th century
- 1880s
Awards & recognition
- Academy Award — Best Costume Design · 2000
- Academy Award — Best Makeup and Hairstyling · 2000
- Academy Award — Best Makeup and Hairstyling · 2000 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Writing, Original Screenplay · 2000 · nominated
- Academy Award — Best Production Design · 2000 · nominated
Show all 6 awards →
- Academy Award — Best Costume Design · 2000 · nominated
Cast & crew
Jim Broadbent
as W. S. Gilbert
Allan Corduner
as Sir Arthur Sullivan
Timothy Spall
as Richard Temple (The Mikado)
Lesley Manville
as Lucy Gilbert
Ron Cook
as Richard D'Oyly Carte
Wendy Nottingham
as Helen Lenoir
Kevin McKidd
as Durward Lely (Nanki-Poo)
Shirley Henderson
as Leonora Braham (Yum-Yum)
Dorothy Atkinson
as Jessie Bond
Martin Savage
as George Grossmith
Directed by Mike Leigh