Sunday, February 05, 2006

Mrs. Henderson Presents
(2 ½ stars out of five)
A trivial little picture, which wants to be (and often thinks it is) much more than it really is. It stars the insanely overrated Judi Dench, the wonderful Bob Hoskins, and is directed by Stephen Frears (High Fidelity). It's another one of those lighthearted, comedic films that wants the audience to take the dramatic U-turn into serious drama about halfway in. The only problem? The film is so lightweight it almost floats away, with performances that border on caricature, and almost nothing to ground the film in reality. A collection of one-liners and funny banter does not sufficiently develop characters enough to make the transition into a dramatic third act, unfortunately. If you really want to see a film about the power of the theater, see Tim Robbins' wonderful Cradle Will Rock.

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