Mrs Henderson Presents

For my birthday treat I was escorted to the Lido Cinema in Epsom to enjoy a big cushy recliner chair in the front row of their Lounge Cinema.

After initial doubts that my eyesight would cope with the very up-close and personal relationship the front row has with the screen, I settled in to enjoy the film.

The film is set just prior to and into the early years of the Second World War including the era of the blitz, and revolves around The Windmill Theatre.
Judi Dench is, of course, Mrs Henderson and Bob Hoskins is Vivien Van Damm. It is a lovely little vignette of British theatrical life, and a rather quirky relationship between the two central characters. It is fair to say that Bob Hoskins is playing against type in this film. It feels slightly odd, but not to the point of being unbelievable.

If nudity is off-putting to you, then perhaps this isn't the movie for you as it is not restricted to the pretty "tableaux" girls.

It is also very poignant in places, but in an understated way. Take for instance Laura Henderson's visit to the lake on the way back from her husband's funeral to his wake. How she behaves when someone rows passed her is an interesting insight into self-control and self-denial. Or perhaps it is simply the social graces of the time.
I enjoyed the film and found a fair amount of humour in it, although the audience we were with did not share this same feeling throughout. A lady in the lobby prior to the movie said that her session was in uproar most of the time and that they had found it hilarious in places.

So, while I can still recommend this as a fair spend of your money, I guess there is a lot of 'hit and miss' to the humour Mrs Henderson presented.