Lady Henderson presenta

Judi Dench as MRS. HENDERSON is a joy to watch from the first scene in the cemetery to the last scene on a roof top in London. A powerful story of a rich English woman who strikes gold with an investment in a theater in London during World War II and turns her investment into a brilliant refuge for her audience as bombs drop all around the theater.

Bob Hoskins turns in a performance as brilliant as Ms. Dench and the two of the them on the screen together is such a pleasure to watch two polished and professional actors light up the screen. The chemistry between them is marvelous, and their scenes together are filled with tremendous writing and biting humor. A "cinematic joy" just in time for the Awards season.

MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS brings us back to the time of World War II and visually shows us the strength of character which the English people had in fighting the Germans and the tremendous sacrifices made by Great Britain to win the war. The supporting cast of beautiful women, and the marvelous role Christopher Guest has in the movie makes this film one to remember and cherish during the holiday season.

LET THERE ALWAYS BE AN ENGLAND.

This film is a lot of fun. Judi Dench is great to watch as a brash, rich, sometimes naive woman who buys a theater as a hobby after her husband's death. She adds fire and life to every scene she's in and has a superb on screen rapport with Bob Hoskins.

The nudity is handled very well. The audience was completely silent when the girls first appeared in all their God-given glory. I think that no one wanted to be heard reacting in any way. But after a while the nudity in the film became as secondary to the story as it did to the audience. There are characters and their relationships that you care about and then WWII starts up with all of Hitler's insanity. They become the real focal points.

If you go to the movie knowing what you're in for, you'll have a wonderful time. It is well-done and has a good story with terrific actors. There are some lines that are very, very funny. Audience members of all ages were clapping when it was finished and you will too.

This little gem was given a bad review by a local newspaper critic and I couldn't disagree more!! I loved it. Judy Dench (the wonderful) and Bob Hoskins are fabulous in their roles and I loved the flirtatious undercurrents. This film made me laugh and cry .... I left the theatre feeling lovely ... what more could you ask for in a movie?? The history of the Windmill Theatre and the (ludicrious) laws allowing the nudes on stage was very interesting. I think Will Young did very well in his first movie, I am an oldie who enjoys his singing. All in all a great movie, Judy Dench fans wont be disappointed, and I hope some younger movie goers give it a go as its well worth the viewing.

How to start on this spectacular film?

The music is superb, Fenton did a sterling job in providing the score for this enthralling musical. Judi Dench sits, as always, perfectly in the role of rebellious Laura Henderson, and her rapport with Bob Hoskins gives a punch to the storyline. The stunning Kelly Reilly combines her English-rose appearance with wartime tenacity and delivers a truly believable and moving performance throughout. Will Young, a surprise casting for many, heads the musical cast with an almost scarily convincing performance as the energetic performer, Bertie. He's rightly received glowing reviews after his substantial appearance in the movie, most notably from Dench and Hoskins themselves - inspired casting by Frears.

This film is a perfect example of typically British humour and attitudes, particular during WWII - In fact it's been a hit with many people from the era (when I went to see it I was surrounded not least by people of 60 and over who reacted to the film with raucous laughter and many a teary eye). I whole heartedly recommend this film to anyone with a love of music, comedy, history, Britain or simply bloody good acting.

I cannot believe how badly this lovely film has been savaged on IMDb.

Apart from spectacular vaudeville staging, Judi Dench plays her eccentric, mischievous widow to perfection and the excellent Bob Hoskins is cast surprisingly out of type as a reserved, rather complex, gentlemanly but iron-willed theatre manager. Their argumentative relationship is amusing without being overbearing, as the film is essentially a nicely balanced ensemble piece. Dench's character Laura Henderson turns out to have a very touching motivation for her desire to stage daring musicals for brave young men off to war. Will Young gives an astonishingly strong vocal performance throughout. His mannered vocal style is perfect, and he looks every inch the part on stage. His few brief moments of acting are nothing to blush over either. Kelly Reilly, the star of the naked girlie reviews, is quite simply mesmerising to watch, and ultimately her character is full of pathos.

And if none of that were enough to engage you, you've got an interesting wartime plot, based on true events in the history of the Windmill Theatre, which in current circumstances feels highly topical and relevant for Londoners. 9/10