Title: The Iron Lady
Directed by: Phyllida Lloyd
Stars: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant and Anthony Head
Running time: 105/minutes, PG-13, Available on DVD
Elderly Margaret Thatcher, suffering the effects of dementia, speaks with her dead husband Denis and reminisces about her girlhood to her reign as the first female Prime Minister.
Meryl Streep won an Oscar for her role in this film, and by now, the Academy should just set one aside for her yearly, so someone else can at least get a chance to hold that statue. She was fantastic as always, and really nailed down that voice and the make-up effects were excellent.
I tend to like biopics, but it all depends on the subject. Margaret Thatcher was an inspirational woman and a admirable role model; however, her life was boring and portraying her as a sad old woman suffering from Alzheimer’s, hallucinating about her dead husband didn’t make her story any more interesting. I could’ve watched an A&E Biography on her, and I wouldn’t have to watch all that fictional filler to make her seem more intriguing. I had to watch this film over a few days because it just lagged and by the time the credits rolled, I was annoyed at the time I wasted.
The special features include 5 featurettes:
~Making The Iron Lady
~Recreating The Young Margaret Thatcher
~Denis: The Man Behind the Woman (giggity)
~Battle In The House of Commons
~Costume Design: Pearls and Power Suits
Watch this for the performances and if you’re a Streep or Broadbent fan. Don’t watch it if you have a paper to write, unless you don’t mind failing. A lot of factual embellishments if you are a history buff. The writing just flat out sucks and it’s a shame these prime actors had to waste their time on this film.
Total Rating: D
Reviewed by: JM Willis
