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Rating:  -
An interestingly charming based-on-a-true story of Mrs. Henderson (Judi Dench), a widowed upper-class woman in pre-WWII London who decided on a lark to buy a theater, The Windmill. Teaming up with theatrical manager Vivian Van Damm (Bob Hoskins), they were an instant success with all-day revues but then started losing money once everyone started to copy their product. The solution? Nude girls, of course; however, this being the 1930s, nude dancing girls were beyond the pale. How they get around this little problem in dealing with the Lord Chamberlain (Christopher Guest in a nice little supporting role) is one of the fun parts of the movie.
Then it turns darker as WWII approaches, with various problems of the Blitz (the Windmill staked it's reputation on being the only theater in the West End to never closed, helped by it's being below street level). The movie never gets too dark, though, even as the bombs fall and soldiers head off to the front, due to some lovely light acting by both Dench and Hoskins and a fine supporting cast in the girls (led by an actress previously unknown to me, Kelly Reilly (seen above with Dench)). Light writing and directing (this is probably the fluffiest thing I've ever seen from Frears, though it has odd tone similarities to High Fidelity) keep things on an even keel and it all turns into a nice frothy concoction that's just fun to watch.
Rating:  -
If you like Judi Dench and anything she's done, you will like Mrs. Henderson. Altho she seems a bit starchy at the beginning of the film,you'll find yourself ready the lead cheers for her by the end.
Rating: -
The genius of comedy lies in showing us truth with a smile. That is why comedies in fact reveal deeper truths about about the human spirit than any drama. You would never know it from most critics and serious people, but in the long run comedies often outlast their dramtic contemporaries and we are still quoting from them years after they appear. As one example, even if another film won the Oscar I agree with Roger Ebert that JUNO was easily the best film of 2007. And we will be watching it long after the Oscar winner (whoever that was) is forgotten.
So how about a comedy based upon a real event. Might that be even deeper and more meaningful? It is at least possible that it would and in this gem it actually proves to be so. While there are a lot of elements of this story that are fictionalized the main story in fact really happened: The really was a Mrs Henderson and she really did do what the film shows her doing. And London was the richer for it. No doubt most of the details were fiction, but the main outline was truth. And so on the framework of this real, true story a genuine masterpeice has been constructed. I thought that the various elements, including the tragic notes, were mixed wonderfully and the Ms Dench's performance was pitch perfect, but so were the performances of many of the other actors in this film. To the extent that the story may appear contrived to some I think that this was simply reflects the tension of presenting a work of fiction that is built on a historical fact: History and Art bumping in to each other. This film had moments of witty repartee and of slapstick, but also some very emotional poignant ones, quite appropriate to celebrating the triumph of a people who withstood a terrible situation.
Rating: -
The print ads would have you expect "Mrs Henderson Presents" to be high-brow exploitation. Nothing could be further from the truth. The film is a celebration of womanhood and extolls the beauty of women particularly in it's naked form. The film has many positive attributes. Primarily the lead performances of Judi Dench as the backer of vaudvillean review shows who suggests nudity in her productions not out of the profit motive but more for altruistic reasons. Bob Hoskins is also outstanding as the gruff producer that Mrs. Henderson hires. The dynamic between these two fine actors is kinetic. There's the initial antagonism that evolves into a mutual respect between the two that ultimately leads to a platonic love. Christopher Guest gives a good turn as the stuffy Lord Chamberlain and Kelly Reilly gives a memorable account as an ill-fated performer. The film is anchored by the sure hand of master director Stephen Frears and the film sports very authentic detail for the period it's covering, England between 1937 and 1942. It's unfortunate that films like this are slapped with the "R" rating because there's little to offend here and mature adolescents should appreciate the movie.
Rating: -
What fun! Mrs Henderson's son died in WW I, her husband just died, and London's being bombed. What is she to do with all her upper-crust money? Why not a burlesque hall? Dame Dench, with able support from Bob Hoskins and Christopher Guest, not to mention director Stephen Frears, takes off on a romp that's full of adventure. Based on true events, there's no end of satire against the rich people. There's also no question where this woman's heart is firmly placed. With leftover love to give, freely, she embarks on a 3rd Act life journey and is rewarding to all ivolved, including the audience. Dame Judi's performance is so complete, there's nothing about her that you don't know about her at the end. I recommend this to all; it's always fun to hear classy characters (played by classy actresses) use lots of naughty words. A delightful story, with delightful performers, delivering a sweet and profound story. What's not to like?
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