Mrs. Henderson Presents Review
by Steve Rhodes (Steve DOT Rhodes AT InternetReviews DOT com)January 17th, 2006
MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 2006 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): **
A costume comedy about performers who shed their costumes, MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS by director Stephen Frears (MARY REILLY), fails my very simple and not especially demanding test. When I pay good money to see a comedy, I want, at a minimum, for it to make me laugh some, or at the very least to have me smiling a lot. The underwritten and underacted MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS, which failed my test, is such a trifle that it is just as hard to find something good to say about it as it is to criticize it. Never a bad movie, its problem is that it doesn't contain a single compelling moment. But, if you accidentally happen to tune into it late one night on TV, it will pleasantly enough pass the time for you until you fall asleep.
The film begins in England in 1937 at a funeral. Laura Henderson (Judi Dench) is an extremely wealthy woman who complains that her husband has "inconsiderately" died, leaving her with nothing to do. The story, which is said to have been "inspired by true events," has Mrs. Henderson buying the Windmill, a rundown theater, as a way to keep her herself busy. She hires a theater manager named Vivian Van Damm (Bob Hoskins) to put on a musical revue in it.
When attendance falls off, Mrs. Henderson hits upon the surefire solution of having the women appear naked. Surely people will pay to see that. "That kind of thing isn't done here -- nudity -- in England," a shocked and almost gasping Mr. Van Damm tells her. Since the French do it, she reasons, the British can too. But, when the official censor, one snooty Lord Cromer (Christopher Guest), hears of it, he insists that he will not permit it. With some sweet talk and some delicious cheese, Mrs. Henderson gets Lord Cromer to agree to her scandalous scheme, so long as anyone appearing nude will remain fixed like a tableaux or a work of art in a museum.
>From there, the movie has all of the standard scenes from the naked women complaining about the temperature in the theater to new threats by the government to close it down. The entire last act, which occurs during the bombing of London during World War II, attempts social relevance and fails miserably, especially in a long and schmaltzy oration by Mrs. Henderson, arguing that nudity is necessary for the war effort.
MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS runs 1:43. It is rated R for "nudity and brief language" and would be acceptable for teenagers.
The film is playing in nationwide release now in the United States. In the Silicon Valley, it is showing at the AMC theaters and the Century theaters.
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Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
