Review of The Last of the Blonde Bombshells (2000) by Corri B — 02 May 2008

So it goes without saying that if Judi Dench is in a movie it is going to be worth catching. This one is no different. In fact, I seem to remember her winning at least one award for her work in it - I'll bet there were more than that, though.

With all the costume pieces she does like MRS BROWN, MRS HENDERSON, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE (and so on) and all the dramatic movies like IRIS, NOTES ON A SCANDAL and the BOND movies, it was refreshing to see the great Dame in a modern day movie that has a touch of humour, a light romance, a sense of whimsy about it. How often do you turn on your tv and find Judi Dench playing a saxophone on the sidewalk?

That's how I discovered The Last Of The Blonde Bombshells...

The film was made for tv and I was flipping stations and there she was, busking alongside a young guitar player. I stayed with it until the end and then I taped it when it was on again.

It's a nostalgic story about a widow who is trying to do something with her days because if she doesn't she could very well go crazy from either loneliness or her horrible grown children treating her like a second class citizen. In her quest, she decides to track down her old mates from her youth, when they were an all girls band entertaining the troops in WW II. And what a crew of mates!

The jazz legend Cleo Laine, MGM legend Leslie Caron, the acclaimed English actress Billie Whitelaw, the acclaimed American actress Olympia Dukakis and the heavenly Ian Holm (hello! it's Bilbo Baggins in drag!).

It all makes for an intelligent, accesible, clever, romantic little romp. And, natch, Dame Judi is the living end, heavenly in every scene, delightful with every word, every expression, every sigh.

Well..

It always makes me sigh.

This is a great dvd to pop in on a lazy Saturday afternoon...