'Mrs. Henderson' offers a bit of naughty humor

When a rich, restless widow has a whim -- watch out.
By JAMI BERNARD
NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
For a spot of nearly naughty fun, you can't go wrong with "Mrs. Henderson Presents" -- a sweet, tidy movie that offers the unusual combination of Judi Dench and a bevy of bare, bouncing breasts. You don't see that every day.
The breasts are sprightly, but the movie feels clean as a whistle, despite the R rating.
Dench reprises her trademarked, tart-tongued grande dame to play the imperious Laura Henderson, a woman who gets what she wants. In this case, what she wants is for the showgirls at her dance hall to perform in the nude.
Loosely inspired by a real vaudeville theater in London where the show went on even during the Blitz, the semiplayful story (it swerves toward melodrama in the final act) follows Mrs. Henderson -- a rich, restless widow who gags at the thought of spending her golden years knitting by the fire. Instead, she buys a rundown theater on a whim and starts ordering people about.
First target
Her first target is the respectable producer Vivian Van Damm (Bob Hoskins). He won't work for such an irritating woman, not he. Next thing you know, he's the manager of the Windmill, grumbling under his breath all the way.
The splintered, bantering relationship between Mrs. Henderson and Van Damm (and the chemistry between Dench and Hoskins) is what gives the movie its slender charms.
This genteel confection skews toward older audiences -- those who go for "Calendar Girls," "Ladies in Lavender" and "Mrs. Brown." Director Stephen Frears is usually known for edgier fare ("The Grifters," "Dangerous Liaisons"), but he's in a mellow mood, and "Mrs. Henderson" is perfect for those who feel the same.