Sra. Henderson Apresenta

A wealthy widow, Mrs. Laura Henderson (Judi Dench) buys an old London theater and comes up with the brilliant idea to turn it in a performance hall with the non-stop shows featuring nude girls during World War II. Bob Hoskins plays Vivian Van Damm, her business partner, who is as stubborn and opinionated as she is but somehow they manage to stay friends and to maintain the respect and admiration for each other. I liked this little movie very much. It's a well crafted dramedy with nice musical numbers, nudity, touching story, and it is based on the real events. Dench and Hoskins are marvelous together.

7.5/10

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.

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.

As the closing feature of the 2005 St. Louis International Film Festival, "Mrs. Henderson Presents" was shown to a nearly full theatre. Coming from the United Kingdom, the film is not a drama nor is it a comedy. "Mrs. Henderson Presents" is best described as a "dramedy" mixed with a musical. Judi Dench dives into her usual role with ease, playing Laura Henderson. As an upper-class widow left with heaps of money, she decides to purchase a theatre, which she names The Windmill. Through the love-hate relationship between Mrs. Henderson and her theatre manager (the terrific Bob Hoskins), they present the most revolutionary program in England: nude women on stage. "Mrs. Henderson Presents," constantly switches from drama to comedy, but is so skillfully directed by Stephen Frears that it maintains a fluid and graceful tone. This is a film that is told through the eyes of its main character, Laura Henderson, so an unrealistic sense of optimism exists. The message lies in the naïve buoyancy Mrs. Henderson grabs from the continuous tragedy and sadness.

Stephen Frear's new film is truly heartbreaking and tragic, but ironically, is incredibly fun. In "Mrs. Henderson Presents," The Windmill Theatre stands tall like a knight in shining armor to the soldiers and crowds of England. It is also a pleasurable escape that certainly deserves more than one visit.