'At first, you may have your doubts about whether you'll be able to warm up to Dench. Her Mrs Henderson is a woman of privilege, prone to dropping pronouncements like, "In India, there was always someone to look down on."

The routine might have gotten tiresome, but Dench knows exactly how and when to soften it. This is a performance that may rise only a notch or two above shtick, but it's a deeply enjoyable shtick.'