ManiakJiggy This is How Movies Should Be Made

Boobirt Stylish but barely mediocre overall

Brightlyme i know i wasted 90 mins of my life.

Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

paulclaassen It is rare that one finds a film that is a comedy, drama and musical all in one and great in all genres. The humor is seriously funny, the drama very dramatic and sad at times, and the musical element vibrant, flamboyant and daring. The film simply would not have been the same without Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins in the lead. They are FANTASTIC together! I thought Will Young was also very good, and he even gave us a peek-a-boo at his bum! (Well, erm, Bob Hoskins did more than that...). All elements of the film work in perfect harmony to bring a thoroughly enjoyable masterpiece. This is one of my all-time favorite films.

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.

featherstone-758-470869 I had such high expectations when sitting down to watch this film being a self-confessed 'Denchphile' and fan of genuine, honest British film. However, sadly I found myself underwhelmed by a lacklustre display despite the casting of some British acting heavyweights.First of all, the positive. Naturally, being an admirer of the Dame, Judy was the stand-out of this film insofar as without her casting, I feel this film would have barely poked its head above the water. Although not the 'brilliant' performance the reviewers promised on the DVD cover, especially when compared to recent Dench performances in the likes of 'Notes on a Scandal' and 'Ladies in Lavender', she nevertheless delivered a heart-warming show which allowed for smiles and titters. Be prepared for witty lines and examples of the classic British humour we expect in down-to-earth British cinema but don't expect any real 'laugh out loud' moments. What is charming is the music, costume, and feel of the film alluding to its musical theme. In this respect, the film succeeds in entertaining on stage, however it is the 'back-stage' story which really lets it down.Despite a positive start, setting the scene after Mr. Henderson's death and humorously showing how Mrs. Henderson acquired the Windmill theatre and Van Damm, the story soon gets all messed up, the pace and humour disappear and we're left waiting for it to end. Even the onset of the war and uncertainty about the future of the theatre fail to stir any real emotion. When main characters face atrocities, I fail to be moved towards sympathy because each of the characters is too shallow to really feel anything for, even Mrs. Henderson herself (the deepest of the lot). When the film reaches its climax (with Mrs. Henderson revealing her motives for pursuing her dream), the reason fails to convince, even though it should. Its difficult to pin-point what the missing ingredients are although the lack of character development and depth is the most obvious one. Aside from that the subplots fail to add any real value to the film and fail to prop up the weak narrative. Oh and Will Young gets a bit irritating by the end, mainly because we actually never really know who he is despite his high billing.All in all, this film gets 6/10 from me mainly for Dench's performance, its musical and aesthetic quality portrayed through the costume, song and dance. In other words the stage scenes, brief moments of Dench humour and charm. However, it fails to hit the spot because it doesn't make us care about the theatre, her motives, the characters or anything really. In the end we are just a bored audience sitting through a smiley but flawed musical stripper show which even Judy Dench could not save.

TheLittleSongbird I was interested in seeing Mrs Henderson Presents as a fan of Judi Dench. After I saw the film myself, I was impressed overall. Mrs Henderson Presents is though uneven, as after a lovely first half the latter drags a bit, while the script in an attempt to create more drama particularly in the second half occasionally gets in a panic and while very well done musically and visually the musical numbers fall into the trap of having a tendency to grind the film to a halt. However, Stephen Frears does do a credible job directing, Mrs Henderson Presents does have the odd downbeat moment but it is jollier in tone to Dirty Pretty Things which had a certain grittiness to it. The story while uneven in pace is compelling and rarely ceases really to be that, the period detail from the cinematography and scenery to the costumes and make-up is lavish and the music is wonderful. The acting is good as well. Judi Dench from her one-liners to her delivery of them is very winning as Laura, and Bob Hoskins is also surprisingly effective. I was also surprised in a good way by Will Young who wasn't bad at all in his film debut. So in conclusion, a good film, uneven but worth seeing for the production values and cast. 7/10 Bethany Cox