The Iron Lady
This is not an easy film to review, mostly because I come at it from an ideological point of view: I hate Margaret Thatcher.
In simple terms this is a biopic that is told in a series of flashbacks sparked by incidents that happen in her current life as a doddering retired old aged pensioner. When it is the flashbacks it is the greatest hits of Thatcher. When it is the present day it seems that not only is Maggie a lot senile she also hallucinates her dead husband, Dennis.
It is this aspect of the movie that is the hardest to take. I can't believe I am agreeing with David Cameron when he says that this film is too soon.
Not that you couldn't have made a film about Thatcher - I just don't think you can do it with the elderly Thatcher.
Meryl Streep plays Thatcher and there is a feeling that this film has been created in order to show off her acting talents, rather than shed any light on the Thatcher legacy.
Jim Broadbent puts in a fine turn as Dennis Thatcher.
Pretty much everyone else is just there to make up the numbers.
The script isn't sparkling. The direction is perfunctory - it does what it has to do.
It is a film for Meryl fans - she shows what she can do, even though there are occasions when it veers a little into parody.
That said I have to say I came away feeling a little sorry for the elderly Thatcher.
There is a scene in the movie towards the end when Thatcher says it is up to the people to get rid of her. She was right there - and the fact that we never got to vote her out is probably one of the main reasons we still hate her.
IMDB gives it 5.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes gives it 57% from the critics and 63% from the audience.
Abi Morgan, Michael Hirst
Length: 105 minutes
In simple terms this is a biopic that is told in a series of flashbacks sparked by incidents that happen in her current life as a doddering retired old aged pensioner. When it is the flashbacks it is the greatest hits of Thatcher. When it is the present day it seems that not only is Maggie a lot senile she also hallucinates her dead husband, Dennis.
It is this aspect of the movie that is the hardest to take. I can't believe I am agreeing with David Cameron when he says that this film is too soon.
Not that you couldn't have made a film about Thatcher - I just don't think you can do it with the elderly Thatcher.
Meryl Streep plays Thatcher and there is a feeling that this film has been created in order to show off her acting talents, rather than shed any light on the Thatcher legacy.
Jim Broadbent puts in a fine turn as Dennis Thatcher.
Pretty much everyone else is just there to make up the numbers.
The script isn't sparkling. The direction is perfunctory - it does what it has to do.
It is a film for Meryl fans - she shows what she can do, even though there are occasions when it veers a little into parody.
That said I have to say I came away feeling a little sorry for the elderly Thatcher.
There is a scene in the movie towards the end when Thatcher says it is up to the people to get rid of her. She was right there - and the fact that we never got to vote her out is probably one of the main reasons we still hate her.
IMDB gives it 5.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes gives it 57% from the critics and 63% from the audience.
Abi Morgan, Michael Hirst
Length: 105 minutes
January 2012
The Weinstein Co.
posted by pat at 3:15 PM
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