itamarscomix Like the best of British dramedies, Mrs. Henderson Presents is, most of all, a joy to watch. A witty script and snappy, fast dialog; excellent British actors (Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Will Young and Christopher Guest are all deliciously nasty); occasional laughs, and most of all, a lot of heart and a lot of humanity. Much like The Full Monty, this film takes a subject matter that would have probably come across as lewd and awkward in an American film, and makes it very approachable by putting as much emphasis as possible on the human spirit, almost to the point of naiveté; but it never falls into kitch, and manages to make for a true feel-good movie in the real sense of the words.The film's only real failing is in its pacing, which made me feel like there could have been a lot more to this story. This is felt most clearly with the characters, who go through very little development. We get some insight into the main characters played by Dench and Hoskins, though not a lot of it; but other characters don't even get that, and it's most irritating with the Maureen, played wonderfully by Kelly Reilly, who has the making of a main character but one gets the feeling that a lot of her scenes were left out in the editing process, because she jumps from scenes to scenes completely changed but the viewer gets no sense of the process she goes to, and ultimately cares about her very little. These problems are probably to some indecision about whether this should be a historical drama or a character study, and the 100-min runtime just isn't enough to carry both. That stops it short of being a great film, but it's still a very good one and one it's impossible not to enjoy.

sddavis63 Watching "Mrs. Henderson Presents" is for the most part a fun type of experience with enough drama contained within it to keep it generally interesting, with much of the movie using the theme of war as a backdrop. The Windmill Theatre was a very real theatre in wartime London, and this is its story during those dark and troubled years.Mrs. Henderson is played by the wonderfully talented Judi Dench. She's a recent upper class widow in 1930's England who - basically for lack of anything else to do in the absence of her husband - buys "The Windmill Theatre" in West London and refurbishes it with the intention of putting on vaudeville type shows. Knowing little about how to run a theatre she hires Vivian Van Damm - played by the also very talented Bob Hoskins - as the theatre manager. When the theatre runs into trouble after an initial spurt of success, Mrs. Henderson hits upon an idea - a show featuring naked women; shocking to the sensibilities of the very prim and proper English society of the era.The movie is highlighted by the portrayal of the relationship between Mrs. Henderson and Van Damm. It was both moving and funny at times, and Dench and Hoskins played superbly off each other. Partway through the movie we discover that Mrs. Henderson had a 21 year old son who died in France in the First World War. This makes Mrs. Henderson a very sympathetic character. The death of her husband she seemed to move past fairly easily, but clearly the death of her son was something she had never fully come to terms with. After the nude review becomes a success, the Second World War breaks out, and Mrs. Henderson and Van Damm have to fight battles with the government to keep the show open. The authorities - never sympathetic to a nude review in the first place - now argue that with the Germans bombing London it's dangerous to have so many people congregating. Mrs. Henderson argues that - the theatre apparently being underground - it's as safe a place as there is in London for people to congregate during the bombing. The movie reaches its emotional climax when Mrs. Henderson essentially gives a speech to the assembled soldiers outside the theatre who've gathered to protest the government's decision to close the theatre down. Her speech - given as a mother who had lost her son in the "war to end all wars" - was very moving, highlighted by these words: "When you lose a son in the war you do know, no matter what anyone might say, that his death has been in vain. It won't stop others from following, other wars, other young men." In the midst of her speech she recounts a story about her son which explains what she sees as the value of a nude review.Overall, this is a well done movie. It's moving at times without being too heavy, and it features some good musical performances during portrayals of the stageshow. As you might expect there was a fair bit of nudity, but it was - as the show itself was - very tasteful nudity. Moving as it may have been, I can't say that I considered the subject matter to be especially "important." It's interesting - perhaps a snippet of history that might be called a "curiosity" more than anything. It's certainly enjoyable to watch, though. (6/10)

random_avenger London, late 1930s: A recently widowed elderly Mrs. Henderson (Judi Dench) is bored with the ordinary upper class widow's life and buys an old theater called the Windmill on a whim. Together with director Vivian Van Damm (Bob Hoskins) she creates an initially successful musical revue, but soon finds out that something more is needed to keep the show interesting. Inspired by the legendary Moulin Rouge in Paris, they come up with the idea of using immobile nude actresses in their shows and attract huge popularity, but the impending World War 2 casts a dark shadow over the joyful cast and crew of the Windmill.There is a lot to like in the film: the sets, props and costumes are carefully created and the musical numbers are catchy and fun. We also get to see a good deal of the once-controversial nudity, but it is not the main appeal of the movie by any means since it is either artistic posing or comedic strolling between the shows. Most of the comedy is provided by Judi Dench's lovable performance as the seemingly fussy but determined Mrs. Henderson and her comical arguing with the often frustrated director Van Damm. In addition to the obvious but restrained attraction between the two, the plot also follows the story of Maureen (Kelly Reilly), one of the actresses who gets involved with a young soldier Bertie (Will Young) on Henderson's suggestion.Despite the film's comedic approach to the partly true story, darker themes are also examined. The effect of the War has a more or less direct effect on the theater crew, as Mrs. Henderson has lost her only son in the previous World War and can see his memory in the young soldiers who now frequent her theater. Ultimately such melancholic character traits and the message about perseverance and the futility of war are left pretty trivial though, probably to not distract from the fun too much. In the end, Mrs. Henderson Presents remains a light comedy with entertaining music and plenty of British charm, but not much more. It's a very watchable film in any case, and I recommend it to any fan of music-filled comedies and history of musical theater.

the-gossip-king Congratulations Stephen Frears! This movie is excellent. The acting is terrific. Judi Dench is magnificent as usual and Bob Hoskins (who really ought to have himself an academy award by now) really works in this movie, they create perfect chemistry. The movie is funny and most importantly it still manages to retain a heart. The way Stephen Frears creates old London is fantastic and beautiful. The costumes are gorgeous and so is the music. The story itself is funny and the good thing is everyone who appears in front of the camera looks like they are enjoying themselves which really lifts the movie. If I have any complaints, the real footage showing London being bombed did not work like I am sure Frears hoped. Because the movie chooses such a colorful tone it does not mix well with black and white footage. But that is only a small error and the good thing is the Frears learnt from his mistake because he mixes them way better with the Queen. Should definitely see this!