Lauded composer
George Fenton
(
Anna and the King
,
The Crucible
) provides director
Stephen Frears
' tale of London's famed
Windmill Theatre
with equal parts sentimentality and whimsy, relying on standout performances from
the Ad Hoc Orchestra
, as well as cast members like
Will Young
Christopher Guest
, and the film's namesake,
Laura Henderson
, played by
Judi Dench
.
Henderson
, along with manager
Vivian Van Damm
, provided wartime England with a nonstop revue of bawdy entertainment during the 1930s, a revue of
jazz
pop
, and
nostalgia
that's been impeccably rendered by
Fenton
and company. Fans of the hit
musical
and film adaptation of
Chicago
will find much to love here. ~ James Christopher Monger