Now presenting, the human body

"Mrs. Henderson Presents" has everything: great acting, a great story and innumerable naked breasts. I tried to count at first, but I lost track after two. Strangely, even though this movie has more nudity than your average girlie magazine, an R-rating almost seems harsh. It is not sexual in the least; rather it is a celebration of the aesthetics of the female form. It raises an interesting point: should a film be rated R simply because it shows a multitude of breasts, while a film that has much stronger sexual content and no nudity gets rated PG-13? I think as a culture our priorities may be a little out of whack. \n"Mrs. Henderson Presents" is supposedly based on the true story of an English widow named Laura Henderson, played here by Dame Judi Dench ("Shakespeare in Love," "Iris"), who buys a theater in London just before World War II. In hopes of attracting more people to her theater she decides to open an all nude review, which is permitted by the government as long as the naked women don't move. What follows is a pointed comedy/drama/musical that offers an insightful look at our arbitrary social conventions.\nDench is very good in the same role she has been playing for the last 15 years: the old woman who will surprise you with her modern ways of thinking. Once again, this role has earned her yet another Oscar nod. It seems like all she has to do these days is sneeze on camera and the nominations come pouring in. Bob Hoskins also does a wonderful job as Vivian Van Damm, the theater's manager. It is no small task to try and take some of the spotlight away from an actress so prolific as Dench, but he somehow manages. Also, in a supporting role are Kelly Reilly's boobs, which I think deserve some sort of nomination as well.\nIn the end, this film is a smart, funny and well acted story with enough nudity to make our Puritan ancestors spin in their graves. It puts forth an important point that shouldn't be ignored. There is nothing wrong with the human body. It should be valued for its beauty, especially if said human body belongs to good looking actresses who make a career out of staying in shape.