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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 16, 2006)
ZZZELMRXFLQHPDVFRP DUV <H Tits and Class Great performances $6,$1),/0)(67,9$/ 21/<7+(%5$9( %/2: )5,21/< MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS: ZLWK$FWRU'LUHFWRUDQG3URGXFHU/DQH 1LVKLNDZDGRLQJD4 $ZLWKDUHFHSWLRQDW %OXH/XQD&OXEWRIROORZ Directed by Stephen Frears. Written by Martin Sherman. Produced by Norma Heyman. Executive producers, Bob Hoskins and David Aukin. Cinematographer, Andrew Dunn. Editor, Lucia Zucchetti. Production design, Hugo Luczyc-Wyhowski. Music, George Fenton. Costumes, Sandy Powell. Starring Judi Dench and Bob Hoskins with Will Young, Christopher Guest, Kelly Reilly, Thelma Barlow. Weinstein Company, 2005. R. 103 minutes. $QWKRQ\+RSNLQV 7KH:RUOG¶V)DVWHVW,QGLDQ )UL VWDUWLQJ6DW 3* 6DW 6XQ0DW $FDGHP\$ZDUG1RPLQDWHG %HVW2ULJLQDO6FUHHQSOD\ I n 1931, Laura Henderson bought a dis- used theater on London’s Great Windmill Street. With manager Vivian Van Damm, she turned The Windmill into the home of a smash hit nude revue. From this snippet of theater history comes Stephen Frears’ film, a witty, enjoyable diversion lifted to greater heights by the performances of the always-remarkable Judi Dench and a surprisingly effective and engaging Bob Hoskins. Much of Mrs. Henderson Presents is spent with Dench’s Mrs. Henderson and Hoskins’ Van Damm bickering and sparring like the proverbial old married couple, their unusual sexual tension lending the relation- ship a strange spark. The Windmill’s sassy, sulky showgirls, initially reluctant to disrobe, gain confidence as the revue’s popularity grows, even under the looming shadow of WWII. Martin Sherman’s script takes an awkward turn when it inexplicably lays the blame for a third-act tragedy on Mrs. Henderson’s shoulders — though she is ab- solved just minutes later, as Dench turns a po- tentially maudlin speech into a lovely evoca- tion of all the feelings the tart-tongued, well- intentioned Mrs. Henderson rarely allows herself to show. The film’s supporting cast is packed with a varied array of talent, from first-ever British Pop Idol winner Will Young (as Van Damm recruit Bertie — a singer, of course) to wide- eyed, expressive Natalia Tena, who charmed as tough girl Ellie in About a Boy and was re- )RUWKHZHHNVWDUWLQJ)ULGD\)HEUXDU\WK 5 )ULRQO\ VWDUWLQJ6DW 6DW 6XQ0DW ),1$/:((. %,-28/$7(1,7( RQO\ IULVDWVXQ LQFOXGHV)5((SRSFRUQRUVRGD 3UHVHQWHGLQ'HHS9LVLRQ' )ULSP6DW 6XQDP Anthony Hopkins in THE WORLD’S FASTEST INDIAN cently cast as clumsy, quirky wizard Tonks in next year’s Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. As blonde centerpiece Maureen, Kelly Reilly does the most work of the revue’s girls, but her story feels somewhat tacked on. This is Dame Judi’s movie, and her Oscar nomination for it is well deserved: Watching Dench in her prime is like watching an Olympic figure skater win the gold, a feat of extraordinary talent and strength made to look so effortless we forget it’s work at all. — Molly Templeton PG-13 BE HERE TO LOVE ME A Film about Townes Van Zant NR WHITE COUNTESS CAPOTE FILM GREEK PG-13 R NR Indomitable Kiwi Spirit Homage to the god of speed THE WORLD’S FASTEST INDIAN: Written and directed by Roger Donaldson. Produced by Donaldson, Gary Hannam. Executive producers Masaharu Inaba, Charles Hannah, Megumi Fukasawa, Satoru Iseki, Barrie M. Osborne. Cinematograher David Gribble. Editor John Gilbert. Music, J. Peter Robinson. Production design. Rob Gillies (NZ), J. Dennis Washington (US). Stars Anthony Hopkins, with Diane Ladd, Annie Whittel, Paul Rodriguez, Patrick Flueger, Chris Lawson, Saginaw Grant and Chris Williams. Magnolia Pictures, 2005. PG-13. 126 minutes. R oger Donaldson gives us a nuanced portrait of Burt Munro, a Kiwi obsessed with taking his 1920 Indian Twin Scout motorcycle to the world’s greatest straightaway, Bonneville Salt Flats U.S. After 20 years of perfecting his machine, Munro wanted to see what happened if he drove it as fast as it could go. In his early 70s at the time, Munro set the land speed record (201 mph) in 1969 at Bonneville. Donaldson (Thirteen Days) met Munro in 1971 at his home in Invercargill, New Zealand and made a documentary about him for N.Z. television, Offerings to the God of Speed, in 1972. But after Munro’s death in 1978, Donaldson was determined to make a fea- ture film about this unique personality who’d made such an impres- sion on him as a young filmmaker. More than motorcycles contributed to Munro’s fully lived life. He finds a loving relationship with Fran (Annie Whittle) in New Zealand and shares the bed of lovely desert widow Ada (Diane Ladd) in the U.S. A Native American man (Saginaw Grant) helps him after an accident and shares with him a potion for prostate suf- fering. Munro befriends an L.A. drag queen (Chris Williams), a used car salesman (Paul Rodriguez), a Vietnam soldier on leave (Patrick Flueger), and a fellow motorcyclist at Bonneville, Jim Moffet (Chris Lawford), whose way with the officials gets Munro into the timed trials. With excellent supporting performances, Hopkins makes it his movie with an understated, mellow performance showing Munro’s savvy, skilled ambition and his rich, personal style. Here was a man. World’s Fastest Indian opens Friday at the Bijou. Don’t miss this one. — Lois Wadsworth Don’t miss this one. 5GLC2?QRGLE ?P 3NTQÐ.QDFNMÐ6HMDÐ"NTMSQXÐHMÐ CNVMSNVMÐ$TFDMD Ð.+(5$ÐlÐ $UDQXÐ3TD 2@S 2?QRGLEkGEFRQQR?PR?R?LBGLAJSBC ECLCPMSQNMSPQMD EPC?RUGLCQ 5MPJBÌAJ?QQÏUGLCQ 5GLCÌDPGCLBJWÏKCLS 5CCICLBÏNG?LMÏ@?P !?QCÏBGQAMSLRQ &MLCQRÏ?BTGAC -NCLÏÌNK 6HMDÐAXÐSGDÐS@RSD ÐFK@RR ÐANSSKD ÐB@RD Ð FEBRUARY 16, 2006 21
