Within the massive coconut cream pie that is Mrs. Henderson Presents, there is a moment when Dame Judi Dench stands before her mirror, clad in a loosely tied dressing gown, and performs a short, sultry, entirely unabashed fan dance in the darkness of her bedroom. When the dance ends, she stares into the glass — her gown slipping from one pale shoulder — and her blue eyes burn with heartbreak. She is ravishing, and it's almost too painfully private to watch.
Though it lasts only seconds, that scene suggests the presence Dench has brought to movies over the past 40-plus years, a presence so strong that Oscar once rewarded her with a Best Supporting Actress statue for just eight minutes of work (playing Queen Elizabeth I in 1998's Shakespeare in Love). No such time-card controversy here — in the title role, Dench steams through Mrs. Henderson Presents like a tiny upholstered battleship. Based on true events, it's the story of a wealthy widow who opened a burlesque theater in London's West End during World War II, and it allows plenty of opportunity for Dench's intelligence, wit, and self-confidence to shine. But Dench is also smart enough to know when to let vulnerability seep through, and it's in those flashes of uncertainty and grief that her Mrs. Henderson is most impressive. Anyone can act sad — it takes a master like Dench to find the sadness in a snappy retort.
Of course, the practical Dame herself would probably tell you that all this awards hoo-ha is nonsense, even as she's staring down the barrel of her fifth Oscar nomination and possibly her second win.
''I just want to go on being employed,'' the 71-year-old actress told EW last year. At the very least, that shouldn't be a problem.
This article appeared on the Entertainment Weekly website on February 4, 2006 in connection with their discussion of the upcoming Oscars. Thanks to Jan for sending it to me.