Susan Granger’s review of “Mrs. Henderson Presents” (The Weinstein Company)
For sheer, sophisticated delight, you can’t do better than this deliciously wicked comedy about a real-life eccentric widow who titillated London with risquŽ shows during the 1930s and ’40s.
Bored and left alone after her husband’s death, Laura Henderson (Judi Dench) anguishes about what to do with her time and her wealth – until she finds a dilapidated Soho theater, The Windmill, and hires an experienced manager, Vivian Van Damm (Bob Hoskins), to run it. The strong-willed temperaments of the whimsical, tart-tongued widow and proud, opinionated impresario inevitably clash, resulting in titanic tiffs, but a scrappy, irresistible love-hate relationship soon develops. And when the economic future of their endeavor is at stake, they join forces to present a controversial novelty, the first nude tableau on the West End, to tremendous acclaim, despite the fervent attempts of censors to shut them down during the W.W.II blitz.
Written with acerbic wit by Martin Sherman (“Bent,” “The Boy From Oz”) from a true story and cleverly directed by Stephen Frears (“Dirty Pretty Things”), it’s a dual tour-de-force by Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins – whose chemistry, literally, crackles, reminiscent of Hepburn/Tracy – with memorable supporting turns from Christopher Guest, Kelly Reilly and “Pop Idol” winner Will Young. Hugo Luczyc-Wyhowski’s production design, George Fenton’s vintage musical arrangements, Eleanor Fazan’s choreography and Sandy Powell’s costumes add credibility. (Curious fact for movie history buffs: the Windmill Theater inspired a 1945 Rita Hayworth musical, “Tonight and Every Night.”) On the Granger Movie Gauge of 1 to 10, “Mrs. Henderson Presents” is a poignant yet utterly charming 10. It’s a classy, laugh-out-loud crowd-pleaser.
