THE IRON LADY
PG-13
105 Minutes
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Writer: Abi Morgan (screenplay)
Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant
| I didn't know British coal miners had it so bad! There's blood on your hands, Mrs. Thatcher! |
|
-Otto, (THE SIMPSONS, FABF10) |
Charlie Chaplin in: THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940)
Historical biopics are all the rage these days. While it is true that biographical films have always been around. The trend, as of late, is using polarizing, political figures (like J. EDGAR, or THE QUEEN).
If I created a list of things wrong with the 80s. Margaret Thatcher would be in the top three: placed squarely between 1. Ronald Reagan and 3. Van Halen.
So how can you humanize such a stone-cold bitch?
Particular people are difficult to portray in the movies.
Adolph Hitler would be difficult to pull off, but look to your left. Charlie Chaplin did just fine, almost better than the 'Führer' himself.
Margaret Thatcher is an unapologetic, hard-nosed intellectual; not unlike Ayn Rand. She needs to be portrayed as such; and therein lies the problem with this film.
Meryl Streep's portrayal of Thatcher is not completely accurate. It's sorely lacking in authenticity; it feels as though she is just going through the motions. Like NOTORIOUS (2009), the actor portraying Christopher Wallace didn't represent the real 'Biggie' that I know...the one that rolls blunts proper.
There is a scene where Margaret meets with image consultants. They tell her how to change her voice, which is funny. My biggest problem with this movie is Meryl Streep's voice. Watch JULIA AND JULIA (2009), and this movie. If you flipped back-and-forth between these two movies, with your eyes closed, you wouldn't know which movie your watching. Margaret Thatcher and Julia Child do not have the same voice.
This is a movie that sets its sights on average, and doesn't let up. We don't find out anything new on Margaret Thatcher, the person—not the political figure. This is a movie, not a high school textbook.
Margaret and her husband are watching old home movies of their kids.
Husband: You can rewind it, but you can't change it
Margaret: They grow up so fast
Kind of reminds me of Tom Cruise in MINORITY REPORT (2002): when he gets high, and watches holographic home movies of his dead son. You know, I'm not sure if that's correct, grammatically. His son would be alive while he took the video. So the proper phrasing would be:..watches holographic home movies of his son, the one who is currently dead. Stylistically, something feels wrong with the new phrasing, but let's move on, shall we?
During a few segments of the film, which include its conclusion, the Prime Minister is conversing with the ghost of her late husband. This is part of the film that actually works well. Structurally, there is nothing wrong with THE IRON LADY. There is a storyline, climax, and a wonderful conclusion. The people in it are the problem.
Final Verdict: 75 out of 100
