Movie Review: 'The Iron Lady'

The Iron Lady Starring Maryl Streep, Jim Broadbent and Richard E. Grant Directed by Phyllida Lloyd Rated PG-13

Meryl Streep plays the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who became the most powerful woman at the time.  The first female PM of Britain dubbed by Soviets as “The Iron Lady” because of her severe spending cuts, racked anger and protests against her and her government.  Screenwriter Abi Morgan makes the film about pitying Thatcher in her old age, while Phyllida Lloyd’s direction is a paint-by-numbers effort when not screwing up the narrative structure to The Iron Lady.

Portraying Thatcher is not an easy task, for she’s a very polarizing political figure, making decisions that weren’t always in the best short-term interest of her people.  The screenwriter Abi Morgan makes the film about pitying Thatcher in her old age, creating a structure sharing time between those “moments” during her (ascension to) British political governing and the latter years when she begins reflect on events when elderly and haunted by hallucinations of her deceased husband, Denis Thatcher (Jim  Broadbent).

Meryl Streep is truly fantastic, poignant and immerses herself in the role, finding a personable reason to the cold Thatcher.  By reflection of a time past, where her household was run on family economics instead of the expected corporate ideal, her method left many middle-class citizens rioting.  Thanks to amazing old age prosthetics (including make-up and hair) and timely period clothing, Streep really gave a performance that was heart tendering and respectable.

The direction by Phyllida Lloyd (who also directed Streep in Mamma Mia!) is fairly plain during those important chapters and then disjoints them with trying to create fluid moments transitioning.  There’s also some poor use of green screen when recreating entire rooms (probably due to budgetary concerns) that become distractions in addition to the fact that it recalls an entire sequence in The King’s Speech, which was done more effectively.

Ultimately a derivative paint-by-numbers biographical film, Streep truly became immersed in the role, both physically and psychologically, by finding an essence to the lady’s core ideals.  There was also very poor use of actual news footage that purposely avoided portraiture of Margaret Thatcher.  Now I believe those seeing the film would want to see the actual Thatcher and compare with Streep, but the choice came off more distracting than unnecessary.  Let’s not even begin with Thomas Newman’s trite and redundant score.

Broadbent was a nice complementary figure and character to Margaret Thatcher and Meryl Streep’s portrayal. Broadbent challenged as her husband Denis and enlightened of a time when Thatcher was a woman who needed fulfillment in her life above all else (including her family and children). Her possessive and, oftentimes, disrespectful treatment of her governing peers. Anthony Head, as Goeffrey Howe, played the punished puppy dog to great effect, betraying her trust, including a loyalty that owes no favors.