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WSR Detailed DVD Review
Mrs. Henderson Presents
Genre: Comedy Drama

Reviewed In Issue 108 (May 2006) Of Widescreen Review®

Stars:
Judi Dench, Bob Hoskins, Will Young, Christopher Guest, Kelly Reilly, Thelma Barlow & Sir Thomas Allen

WSR Review Scores
WSR Picture Rating: 4
DD Sound Rating: 3.5
DTS Sound Rating: NA
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Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score: 3.5
Internet Links
www.mrshendersonthemovie.com

Special Features
Special features include commentary with director Stephen Frears; the featurette "The Making Of Mrs. Henderson Presents" available to watch in its 24-minute entirety or broken into the chapters "The Real Windmill Girls" (four minutes), "Casting The Show," (six minutes), "The Look" (three minutes), "Choreography" (five minutes), and "Making The Movie" (six minutes); production stills; the theatrical trailer; and up-front ads.


 DVD General Information

(Studio/Distributor): The Weinstein Company
(Catalog Number): 79099
(MPAA Rating): R
(Rating Reason):

For nudity and brief language
(Retail Price): $28.95
(DVD Type): Single Side, Dual Layer (DVD9)
(Widescreen Edition): Yes
(Full Screen Edition): Yes
(Anamorphic Widescreen): Yes
(Running Time In Minutes): 103
(Color Type): Color With B/W Sequences
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): Yes
(Regional Coding): 1
(Theatrical Year): 2005
(Theatrical Release): Yes
(Direct-To-Video Release): No
(DVD Release Date): 04/18/06
(THX® Digitally Mastered): No

 Credits Information

(Director): Stephen Frears
(Screenplay/Written By): Subscribe Now!
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  DVD Picture Information

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  DVD Sound Information

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  WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
With too much time and money on her hands, the recently widowed Laura Henderson (Dench) decides to buy a run-down theater, The Windmill. She hires Vivian Van Damm (Hoskins) to manage the place, but the two strong personalities clash and can't seem to agree on anything. The shows at The Windmill are at first a hit, but when other theaters start copying Van Damm's presentations, attendance begins to decline. Realizing that she has to come up with something new, special, and exciting to bring back the crowds, "Mrs. Henderson Presents" Nudity on her stage. Inspired by true events. (Tricia Spears)

DVD Picture:
The anamorphically enhanced 1.78:1 DVD picture delivers the beautifully photographed images with fantastic stylizations. The period is captured with a color scheme that almost resembles old photographs or newspaper clippings. Colors are nicely balanced in other scenes, with accurate fleshtones and deep blacks. The picture is generally sharp and detailed, although some scenes are hazy or soft to help evoke a certain mood. Film grain is inherent in the source element, as are flecks of dirt. Quite often, the picture appropriately looks as if it were shot in a completely different era. Occasional edge halos and pixelization can be noticed. (Suzanne Hodges)

Soundtrack:
While music is mixed using each of the corner channels, the rest of the soundtrack is generally fixed on the center channel. Dialogue is generally spread across each of the front three screen channels and is recorded well with good detail. Some scenes are plagued by background noise and high-pitched humming. The front stage is amply broad and deep when needed, which provides something for the otherwise lackluster soundtrack. (Danny Richelieu)