DVD available at Amazon.com
Director:
Stephen Frears
Cast:
Judi Dench……….Laura Henderson
Bob Hoskins……….Vivian Van Damm
Will Young……….Bertie
Kelly Reilly……….Maureen
Thelma Barlow……….Lady Conway
Christopher Guest……….Lord Cromer
Weinstein Company presents Mrs. Henderson Presents. Written by Martin Sherman. Running time: 103 minutes. Rated R (for nudity and brief language).
The movie:
Taking a tour of London you are likely to visit landmarks such as Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and Stonehenge. Another attraction you may not know is the Windmill Theater. Outside the complex a neon sign reads “We Never Closed.” This is, of course, acknowledging Laura Henderson’s refusal to shut down her theater as Germany was bombing Britain during World War II.
Hollywood has given us depictions of D-Day and Pearl Harbor, but rarely do we get a film about an activity not confined to the battlefield during wartime. Mrs. Henderson Presents deals with the Windmill’s establishment and its infamous decision to feature naked girls all day and all night. As the first British stage to do such an act, Mrs. Henderson had to finagle the Lord Chamberlain to allow it. So, during a back-and-forth discourse, she convinces Lord Cromer (Christopher Guest) that a nude, if she was as still as a statue, was not “theater” but “art”. Thus, this fell under the same exemption that allowed for nudes (sculptures and paintings) to be on display in the National Gallery.
Judi Dench plays Mrs. Laura Henderson, a genial but sometimes craggy widow during the 1930’s. Burying her husband in India, she comes home to England having inherited a substantial amount of money and no clue how to go about her life. Definitely tired of widowhood, and her acting cordial towards others, she finds comfort in an abandoned theater on Great Windmill Street. Mrs. Henderson decides to buy the rickety building and put on a show.
Needing a manager, she hires a man who has a most feminine-sounding name. Vivian Van Damm (Bob Hoskins) and Mrs. Henderson butt heads on occasion but it’s all in good fun. Together they put on a variety program filled with comedy troupes and musical numbers. Each day and night the townsfolk would gather and be entertained. Soon, copycats opened up around the Windmill, and the theater’s Revuedeville show begins to lose money. This is when the old maid came up with a brilliant idea. Naked girls.
Oh, and boy did those naked girls know how to draw a crowd. Ultimately saving the theater from closing shop, it’s success came when Mrs. Henderson would not bow down to pressure to cease operation during wartime. This was partly due to the theater’s design. Through the front doors a patron must walk downstairs to get to the theater. With the stage and seating below ground, the theater was rather safe from bombs being dropped.
Another contributing factor to the Windmill’s success was its importance for uplifting troop morale. This stems from an event that had a lasting impact on Mrs. Henderson’s life. The death of her husband was saddening, but she also lost her only son during the first World War. Dying at such a young age it is possible that he had never seen a woman in the buff. It was her mission to make sure this new generation of heroes sees a naked girl at least once.
Mrs. Henderson Presents is a showbiz tale with extravagance. Where women bare all – above and below. Stephen Frears has proven with films like The Grifters and Dirty Pretty Things that he can direct taught thrillers. Here he shows he can get laughs, as well. Judi Dench is quick with her quips, especially her compromise with the Lord Chamberlain. For one instance, the two are discussing a certain part of a woman’s anatomy. It is referenced as “foliage”, the “midlands”, and, as a word that retired Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade (Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman) believes has the greatest two syllables in the English language, the “pussy”.
Working from Martin Sherman’s screenplay, Frears observes the relationship of Mrs. Henderson and Van Damm. Judi Dench is a dame like always and Bob Hoskins is at his impresario best. Oil and water when together, what still remains is a genuine affection toward the other. Joining the revelry is Christopher Guest as the Lord Chamberlain. His part, although short, brings the laughter. I would hope so, considering Guest works well in ensembles (see Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show for further proof.) Inside the theater it is Maureen (Kelly Reilly) as the Windmill girl who gets the most screen time. This is partly due to Mrs. Henderson and Van Damm’s approval of her “British nipples.” I’m only joking of course, but it is hard to not enjoy the film’s droll sense of humor.
Score: 7/10
The DVD:
THE VIDEO
(Presented in 1.78:1 Widescreen)
The comedy is witty, but it is enhanced by a beautiful transfer. Constructed by production designer Hugo Luczyc-Wyhowski, the sets are well lit and offset the characters warm skin tones with style. You can definitely see the richness of color when scenes are set outdoors, as well as in the Windmill Theater.
Score: 9/10
THE AUDIO
(English Dolby Digital 5.1)
The Weinstein Company has come far in the audio and video department since its first DVD release, Derailed. The songs and music accompanying the stage performances are top notch, and add to the whimsical nature of Mrs. Henderson Presents.
Score: 9/10
SPECIAL FEATURES: Director’s commentary, multi-part featurette!!
The multi-part mini documentary, entitled The Making of Mrs. Henderson Presents, features interviews with key members of the cast and crew intercut with the typical promotional content and more exciting testimonials. The featurette begins well with a party to celebrate the original Windmill girls. The comments from two Windmill gals highlight the “non-stop revue”.
Besides the history behind the Windmill, other topics include the casting of the show, the look (production design plus hair and makeup), the choreography, and the making of the movie. All five parts combined, the feature lasts only 24 minutes. What is here is okay for the average viewer; but, for someone who wants more in-depth coverage, you’ll have to retreat to the Internet or a library.
The commentary by Stephen Frears is unusual in attempts to provide insight. His remarks are sparse, as empty space takes up much of the track. What he does share are casual observations one friend may tell another. That is, if the friend partook in the film’s creation. During the meeting between Mrs. Henderson and the Lord Chamberlain, Frears talks about the casting of Christopher Guest. Many scratched their heads at the choice, considering Guest is an American playing a high-ranking British official. Oh, come on now. This is the same guy who played the Six-fingered Man in The Princess Bride. That alone means he has all the necessary qualities to play a pompous bureaucrat.
Score: 5/10
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