A love letter to the creative process, decoratively intricate, authentic and gaudy. Probably should be reserved to G&S fans, theater majors, or Brits(-at-heart) for maximum enjoyment.

I think I've reached the point in my Mike Liegh fandom where I'll fall for most things that he makes: a two and a half hour film focusing on Gilbert and Sullivan shouldn't leave me really rather delighted!... All the characters feel so fleshed out even if they're only in the film for a couple minutes, the look at the creative process is rather wonderful, many of the performances are terrific and most impressively of all I found the film to be by quite some distance one of Leigh's funniest.

Princess Ida has always been one of my least favourite Gilbert and Sullivan productions, and the Mikado has always been one of my favourite. This was a real treat, and at times I found it funny, even though I'm sure they weren't meant to be. I suppose it's just the effect of being related to Gilbert and Sullivan that something that aims to be a drama can be humurous.

82.500

An excellent backstage drama from Leigh, who continues his career-long focus on strained relationships with this look at Gilbert and Sullivan staging the first production of The Mikado. Leigh sprinkles in a number of counterpoints to the more dour tone of the relations: the energetic musical numbers, Jim Broadbent's dry, comic performance, and the theatrical sets bursting with color. The mystery of broken people creating beautiful, entertaining, and comic art is on full display here.

Delightfully observant and detailed, and outfitted so beautifully that I can hardly keep myself from squealing like a little girl at the sight of almost every new scene. The decision to have the actors perform their own music pays off hugely in ways I don't have room to go into here. The acting is simply out of this world; Broadbent once again delivers a masterpiece of a performance with seemingly no effort; Lesley Manville and the criminally underutilized Shirley Henderson are both fantastic.

Being a theater person, I understood the facets of this story, and thoroughly enjoyed the movie.

Maybe if you are into Gilbert & Sullivan or stage musicals this would be entertaining, for me it was two and a half hours of unrelenting boredom.

A truly great movie about the creative process. The story of the inspiration for and making of The Mikado is never less than thrilling and deeply engrossing, and the script is offbeat and funny and tender and the acting is superb. Plus the music is wonderful. See this movie!

Anyone who has ever performed in a Gilbert and Sullivan production should see this movie. There will be added humor and enjoyment for these viewers, especially for those who have acted, sung, and danced in the Mikado.

It's probably a good film -- if you're a Gilbert and Sullivan fan. For me, G&S are like nails under the chalkboard so....there's that. Sorry.

# 898

Definitely for G&S fans, and not just for anyone, but a delightful look into the world of the English Theatre during this time period.

I'm not a Gilbert & Sullivan fan. All that laboriously clever wordplay irks me. But being a fan is not an absolute requirement for appreciating this movie. It's more about the creative process. And on that score, it's quite engaging. It helps that the characters are exceptionally well-drawn, even the minor players. I thought the period reproduction was obtrusive. It was impressive set design, but too in-your-face. Overall an entertaining film, though probably more so for fans of musical theater.