“Mrs. Henderson Presents” (The Weinstein Company)
Lots Of Talent, Lots Of Nudity
Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins star in the perfectly proper, but nudity filled, “Mrs. Henderson Presents.” This drama set in the years preceding and during World War II gives Dame Judi Dench a chance to actually star in a film. Usually she is cast in supporting roles in movies that she always steals. Here she has the title role and is charming from beginning to end.
The movie starts with the funeral of a Mr Henderson. His wife Laura (Dench) doesn’t take much to the role of “widow.” She wants something to do, so she buys a theater. She hires Vivian Van Dam (Hoskins) to run it for her, but she keeps her hand in. When the musical revue he produces isn’t as successful as she would like, she suggests they add full female nudity.
In order to get this okayed for London viewing she has to get the permission of Lord Cromer (Christopher Guest). He agrees as long as the naked young ladies do not move during the production. They have to be perfectly still, as in art.
One of the young women Van Dam hires is named Maureen (Kelly Reilly). She instantly becomes the star of the “show.” Later after the war breaks out she is engaged in a wartime romance. This is something Mrs. Henderson arranges as she can’t help but meddle in the lives of the people she cares about.
The film is enjoyable but a little sluggish. You never get a full picture of anyone’s story. We meet Laura Henderson when she is in her seventies and take her from there. Van Dam is also a character who is never fully known. He and Laura have a strictly business relationship but it is obvious they care for each other
Kelly Reilly is the one we want to know the most about but she too is just half defined. She is beautiful and enigmatic. If the movie had followed her story a little more closely it would have been a more entertaining one.
Still any movie with Judi Dench is an interesting one. She absolutely gets better with age. There is one scene in the film where she dances in front of a mirror with a fan in her hand. Her beauty and grace shine through and make this a magical movie moment.
Bob Hoskins turns in a fairly subdued performance. He appears to see himself in a supporting role to Dench’s star turn. The two performances do compliment each other.
The film is rated R for profanity and nudity.
“Mrs. Henderson Presents” is not a great movie, but it is a good one. It can’t be recommended for all audiences because of the abundance of nudity but for adults it is a film worth watching. Judi Dench is an amazing actress. This role lets her shine.
I scored “Mrs. Henderson Presents” a naked 6 out of 10.
