Movie Review : Iron Lady
Genre : Biography / Drama
Director : Phyllida Lloyd
Starring : Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Susan Brown
Released : 2011
My Rating : 6 out of 10
Genre : Biography / Drama
Director : Phyllida Lloyd
Starring : Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Susan Brown
Released : 2011
My Rating : 6 out of 10
A few days ago was the death anniversary of British ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and I was reminded of this movie. Eager to get a recap about a very influential and controversial figure in World History, I watched the movie with an open mind, as I really didn’t remember much about the so called Thatcherisms.
The movie opens with an old Mrs Thatcher living alone in an apartment, suffering from dementia. She often talks to her husband, seemingly unaware that he is dead. Most of the time she is just another old lady, except sometimes, she remembers her years as the Prime Minister. These earlier years, as a young candidate, her marriage, rise to the highest political office is shown to us via flashbacks. These flashbacks are generally short, providing just a glimpse of her days at the office. On the other hand, the flashbacks related to her family life are more illuminating.
The focus of the movie is clearly on the last days of Mrs. Thatcher, her battles with dementia and memory loss, with a sincere attempt of showing the loving relationship she shared with her husband. Rest of the material just builds the context.
That was my main problem with the movie. Margaret Thatcher is not just one of the many political leaders in recent history. Her influence on Britain as well as World, is large. She was a polarizing figure, well known for a her fiscal conservative policies. I would have really liked if the movie had lived up to its title. There was so much opportunity. The script could have focused on some key events such as the Falklands War, or the union strikes, and tried to show her struggles, how she overcame the adversity. At the same time, it could have highlighted the strength and stubbornness of her character, and why she came to be known as the Iron Lady, with both good and bad connotations of the term. Especially now, as there are far more skeptics of the European Union than ever, and Mrs Thatcher’s views on the matter were essentially correct, although unpopular when she was expressing it. A focus on such things would have been so much more interesting. As it stands, the movie is not captivating at all.
There is nothing wrong in making a movie about people suffering from illnesses related to the old age. But if that's your goal, then you don’t need to chose Margaret Thatcher as the main subject. However, this does allow Meryl Streep to shine through. She won her third Oscar, only her second as an actress in a leading role. The previous came from her deeply emotional performance in Sophie’s Choice, almost 30 years ago. The range of roles she has played in all those years is unparalleled. It’s yet another performance, where she just immerses herself in her character. Helping her do that is her makeup, for which the makeup artists (Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland) won a well deserved Oscar.
The rest of the cast lends good support. As I said, the main problem is the script, trying hard not to present any sharp views in this controversial figure, and as a result giving us a very bland movie.
I can recommend this movie only for watching one more beautiful demonstration of Meryl Streep’s acting prowess. If you are interested in knowing about Margaret Thatcher as a person or as a Prime Minister, a Wikipedia article is going to be a better source. The movie is appropriately rated as PG-13, but even the older kids will be thoroughly bored.
The movie opens with an old Mrs Thatcher living alone in an apartment, suffering from dementia. She often talks to her husband, seemingly unaware that he is dead. Most of the time she is just another old lady, except sometimes, she remembers her years as the Prime Minister. These earlier years, as a young candidate, her marriage, rise to the highest political office is shown to us via flashbacks. These flashbacks are generally short, providing just a glimpse of her days at the office. On the other hand, the flashbacks related to her family life are more illuminating.
The focus of the movie is clearly on the last days of Mrs. Thatcher, her battles with dementia and memory loss, with a sincere attempt of showing the loving relationship she shared with her husband. Rest of the material just builds the context.
That was my main problem with the movie. Margaret Thatcher is not just one of the many political leaders in recent history. Her influence on Britain as well as World, is large. She was a polarizing figure, well known for a her fiscal conservative policies. I would have really liked if the movie had lived up to its title. There was so much opportunity. The script could have focused on some key events such as the Falklands War, or the union strikes, and tried to show her struggles, how she overcame the adversity. At the same time, it could have highlighted the strength and stubbornness of her character, and why she came to be known as the Iron Lady, with both good and bad connotations of the term. Especially now, as there are far more skeptics of the European Union than ever, and Mrs Thatcher’s views on the matter were essentially correct, although unpopular when she was expressing it. A focus on such things would have been so much more interesting. As it stands, the movie is not captivating at all.
There is nothing wrong in making a movie about people suffering from illnesses related to the old age. But if that's your goal, then you don’t need to chose Margaret Thatcher as the main subject. However, this does allow Meryl Streep to shine through. She won her third Oscar, only her second as an actress in a leading role. The previous came from her deeply emotional performance in Sophie’s Choice, almost 30 years ago. The range of roles she has played in all those years is unparalleled. It’s yet another performance, where she just immerses herself in her character. Helping her do that is her makeup, for which the makeup artists (Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland) won a well deserved Oscar.
The rest of the cast lends good support. As I said, the main problem is the script, trying hard not to present any sharp views in this controversial figure, and as a result giving us a very bland movie.
I can recommend this movie only for watching one more beautiful demonstration of Meryl Streep’s acting prowess. If you are interested in knowing about Margaret Thatcher as a person or as a Prime Minister, a Wikipedia article is going to be a better source. The movie is appropriately rated as PG-13, but even the older kids will be thoroughly bored.
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