I marked this review for spoilers, but I'd like to reiterate that I do spoil a major character ending further on in this review. Don't read after the next paragraph if you want to avoid.Watching Bob Hoskins and Judi Dench on screen together was, I admit, extremely satisfying. Their characters are fun and funny and they manage to make two characters with quite prickly exteriors very likable. Oh, and let me not forget the scenes with Dench and Christopher Guest, which range from cute to hysterical. As for the film itself, the music is good, the sets pretty, but I was in the end not very satisfied with it. Having said that, and before I go onto that rather large spoiler, I must note that I still rewatch it on occasion specifically because the flaw of the movie doesn't overpower my love of watching Dench, Hoskins and Guest, or the pleasure of the musical numbers, which are very nicely done, and from what I understand accurately reflect the sort of themes the real Van Damm created.Dench and Hoskins' storyline is good, but the side story of Maureen - and how it's worked into Dench's storyline - was just such too mawkish for my tastes. I dislike it when they kill off a character just to drag sentiment into a story - it just feels cheap and tends to dampen my enjoyment of a film when that happens. This was a pretty good example of that. There was no real reason for her storyline - her character was sweet, her scenes very pretty, but then she gets offed at the end just so Dench's character can make a pretty little speech that keeps the Windmill from closing down. That, for me, is what takes it from a movie I rate highly and recommend to friends to a movie that I watch for the good parts, but generally don't bother bringing up in recommendation discussions.

I would leave it at that, but I believe I am obliged to write 10 lines. Ten lines to state the obvious? Oh, well. This is what happens when I'm not in charge.I must admit that I soon tired of this film and didn't watch the end. One of the reasons is that I found nothing humorous in this film, which is presented as a comedy. At least I never found the combination of old age and sex amusing. To me it's pathetic and embarrassing. Like the proverbial "excentric" old relative who's very sweet and all that, but it's wiser to keep out of sight, locked up somewhere. Watching the great Judi Dench prancing about, acting the naughty, profane and rude (in a most unfunny way) little old lady was painful beyond endurance. I mean, she says things like the saddest thing that could have happened to her son was not being killed in the war, but having died without seeing a pair of tits ... need I elaborate?This film has enough nudity and "sexual content" to please those who have turned postponed adolescence into a habit, or for the gullible, who are fooled into believing things like paying taxes is patriotic, or that smut can be disguised as art. If you must waste your time, there are better ways of doing it than watching this silliness.

I had such high expectations when sitting down to watch this film being a self-confessed 'Denchphile' and fan of genuine, honest British film. However, sadly I found myself underwhelmed by a lacklustre display despite the casting of some British acting heavyweights.First of all, the positive. Naturally, being an admirer of the Dame, Judy was the stand-out of this film insofar as without her casting, I feel this film would have barely poked its head above the water. Although not the 'brilliant' performance the reviewers promised on the DVD cover, especially when compared to recent Dench performances in the likes of 'Notes on a Scandal' and 'Ladies in Lavender', she nevertheless delivered a heart-warming show which allowed for smiles and titters. Be prepared for witty lines and examples of the classic British humour we expect in down-to-earth British cinema but don't expect any real 'laugh out loud' moments. What is charming is the music, costume, and feel of the film alluding to its musical theme. In this respect, the film succeeds in entertaining on stage, however it is the 'back-stage' story which really lets it down.Despite a positive start, setting the scene after Mr. Henderson's death and humorously showing how Mrs. Henderson acquired the Windmill theatre and Van Damm, the story soon gets all messed up, the pace and humour disappear and we're left waiting for it to end. Even the onset of the war and uncertainty about the future of the theatre fail to stir any real emotion. When main characters face atrocities, I fail to be moved towards sympathy because each of the characters is too shallow to really feel anything for, even Mrs. Henderson herself (the deepest of the lot). When the film reaches its climax (with Mrs. Henderson revealing her motives for pursuing her dream), the reason fails to convince, even though it should. Its difficult to pin-point what the missing ingredients are although the lack of character development and depth is the most obvious one. Aside from that the subplots fail to add any real value to the film and fail to prop up the weak narrative. Oh and Will Young gets a bit irritating by the end, mainly because we actually never really know who he is despite his high billing.All in all, this film gets 6/10 from me mainly for Dench's performance, its musical and aesthetic quality portrayed through the costume, song and dance. In other words the stage scenes, brief moments of Dench humour and charm. However, it fails to hit the spot because it doesn't make us care about the theatre, her motives, the characters or anything really. In the end we are just a bored audience sitting through a smiley but flawed musical stripper show which even Judy Dench could not save.

Stephen Frears presents a wonderful movie. Another outstanding cast with a fantastic performance from Judie Dench (as Laura Henderson) Playing the part of a bored widow until she buys the windmill theater.I found this movie exceptionally brave to go outside of the ordinary and film a movie about naked girls in the 1920's. But even though this film has some nudity, it isn't about nudity. It is about listening and following instead of giving instruction. and it's about it's personality that counts not there looks(I'm sure you have heard about that saying)and there are others I'm sure that I haven't included.A huge portion of my enjoyment of this film was of course the music and dance that went on in the windmill theater.George Fenton(the writer of the music)and Will Young (singer and actor)a perfect combination which made the ending song (turn the sails of the windmill) sad because it was nearing the end of the film.