Those prudish Brits sure love movies about kinky plebeians: from "The Full Monty" to "Calendar Girls" and now "Mrs Henderson Presents". English directors seem to be particularly excited by erotic stories of ordinary people disrobing for a noble cause. This time, we are in World War II London. German bombs are falling. But brave men and women on Churchill’s island bravely resist the Nazis. And nobody resists more nobly and heroically than brave nude actresses at the Windmill Theatre (which remains open every day despite the Blitz) as they courageously disrobe to cheer the young soldiers as they go into battle. The film’s greatest and most touching scene takes place during an air raid, when a particularly heavy bombing briefly disrupts a performance, almost forcing most actresses to flee. But one girl (Kelly Reilly) quickly regains her composure and resumes her nude pose (while making a victory sign), and so all the other performers return on stage as well. This great "there is Jackson standing like a stone wall" moment is guaranteed to bring the tears to the eyes of any audience, while also being erotically arousing. Directed by Stephen Frears, "Mrs Henderson Presents" is a wonderful illustration of that famed British "stiff upper lip". Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins are both in particularly fine comic form, but it’s Kelly Reilly who really steals the show as a brave English lass who finds not only fame, but also glory and respect as London’s most famous nude performer.
