Mrs Henderson Presents (2005) or, Wartime Swinging London

10/04/2021

Mrs Henderson Presents (2005) or, Wartime Swinging London

♥♥♥♥

Kelly Reilly steals the gaze on this festive poster for Stephen Frears' Mrs Henderson Presents with a cheaky tag-line top-right

The distinguished Mrs Henderson becomes a widow in 1937, and she decides to purchase a London theatre, which she succeeds in making a popular venue with variety shows featuring nudity.

Mrs Henderson Presents is written by Martin Sherman (Alive and Kicking (1996)), based on an idea by Kathy and David Rose (The Kid, TV-series (1986, producer), both), and directed by English master filmmaker Stephen Frears (Gumshoe (1971)). It is based on the true story of Laura Henderson's Windmill Theatre in London.

It is a cheerful and life-affirming story about hanging onto life during WWII, which especially lives on Judi Dench (Nine (2009)) and Bob Hoskins' (Don Quioxote (2000, TV movie)) infectious performances. Will Young (Highland Park (2013)), Kelly Reilly (Joe's Palace (2007, TV movie)) and Christopher Guest (Heartbeeps (1981)) are also good and well cast.

Mrs Henderson Presents is a sporadically funny, sporadically moving film with a natural relationship to bodies and nudity.

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2016 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

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Florence Foster Jenkins (2016) - Streep, Frears and Co. drop us a delightful present

Top 10: Best UK movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED V]

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED IV]

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED III]

Philomena (2013) - Dench astounds in Frears' powerful true-story drama

Dirty Pretty Things (2002) - Good performances anchor Frears' flawed, overrated illegal immigrant drama

Watch a trailer for the movie here

Cost: 20 mil. $

Box office: 27.8 mil. $

= Big flop (returned 1.39 times its cost)

[Mrs Henderson Presents premiered 9 September (Toronto International Film Festival) and runs 103 minutes. Shooting took place from October 2004 - ? in France and England, including in London. It opened #41 to a 55k $ first weekend in 6 theaters in North America, where it peaked at #17 and in 522 theaters (different weeks), grossing 11 mil. $ (39.6 % of the total gross). The 2nd and 3rd biggest markets were the UK with 7.1 mil. $ (25.5 %) and Australia with 4.3 mil. $ (15.5 %). The film was nominated for 2 Oscars: Best Actress (Dench), lost to Reese Witherspoon in Walk the Line, and Costumes, lost to Memoirs of a Geisha. It was also nominated for 4 BAFTAs, 8 British Independent Film awards, a David di Donatello award, 3 Golden Globes, and won a National Board of Review award, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave the film a 3/4 star review, equal in rating to this one. Frears returned with Le Court des Grands (2005, video documentary) and theatrically with The Queen (2006). Dench returned in with 4 voice and TV series credits prior to her theatrical return in Casino Royale (2006); Hoskins in Stay (2005). Mrs Henderson Presents is fresh at 67 % with a 6.70/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

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William Friedkin has died

Born in Chicago, Friedkin accrued TV credits prior to his advance to the big screen as the director of Good TImes (1967), The Birthday Party (1968), The Night They Raided Minsky's (1968) and The Boys in the Band (1970) before his major breakthrough, The French Connection (1971), for which he won his only Oscar. He followed it up with the even bigger smash, The Exorcist (1973), arguably the best horror film of all time, for which he was Oscar-nominated. Later credits include Sorcerer (1977), Cruising (1980), To Live and Die in L.A. (1985), Rampage (1987), Rules of Engagement (2000), Killer Joe (2011) and The Devil and Father Amorth (2017, documentary). Friedkin passed away at age 87. R.I.P.

Louise Fletcher has passed away

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Jean-Luc Godard has passed away

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Wolfgang Petersen has died

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Film Excess - Free Ukraine - Stop Putin - End the war NOW!!

Eagerly anticipating this week ... (6-24)

10/04/2021