The Iron Lady
An elderly Margaret Thatcher talks to the imagined presence of her recently deceased husband as she struggles to come to terms with his death while scenes from her past life, from girlhood to British prime minister, intervene.
Director:
Phyllida Lloyd
Cast:
Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant
Screenplay:
Abi Morgan
Screening Date:
Dec 17, 2011
| Excellent | Very Good | Good | Fair | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 62.5% | 19.6% | 16.1% | 0.0% | 1.8% |
“Magnificently imperious.”
“Meryl Streep was stupendous as usual.”
“Meryl Streep is superb!”
“Meryl Streep is a wonder. The make-up artists are amazing, not just for Meryl but for other characters as well.”
“Absolutely brilliant portrayal by Meryl Streep. She truly is a national treasure. A fair portrayal of Thatcher’s strengths and weaknesses. One must always keep in mind how many barriers she broke down in a totally male dominated world as the sole woman.”
“Loved the film. What was the symbolism of the shoes? The camera always focused on shoes, her shoes, her husband’s shoes and the Parliament members, etc. Great film work!”
“Meryl Streep gave a commend performance! Perhaps an alternate title could be A TEMPEST IN A TEACUP.”
“The most beautiful film I have ever seen. Meryl Streep’s best performance ever. Deserves to sweep the Academy Awards. My stomach hurt throughout the movie because I was witnessing such genius in cinematography and brilliant acting. Bravo!”
“Stunning in every way. Meryl Streep’s performance is extraordinary. I think the best of her already hugely impressive career. And the direction, screenplay, editing, cinematography etc. were all brilliant. Loved this film, which will haunt me for years. It was so penetratingly done.”
“Riveting and definitely Oscar worthy. Streep IS Thatcher. Makes me wonder where we’d be if we’d given Hilary a chance!”
“Probably the best movie of the year, but definitely the best actress of the year.”
“THE IRON LADY is a very Apt title to a very coarse, gritty and sometimes solemn woman. She believed in a Darwinistic ideal. Here are some quotes: ‘No one would remember the Good Samaritan if he’d only had good intentions.’ ‘I usually make up my mind about a man in 10 seconds and I rarely change it.’ ‘I am extraordinarily patient provided I get my own way in the end!’ ‘The problem with socialism you eventually run out of other people’s money.’ She was a forceful woman opinionated to a fault! Meryl Streep portrayed all!”
“Please have a copy of this film sent to Obama so he can see that action is far more important than chatter.”
“Excellent acting. Incredible woman. This is a keeper.”
“Felt that the film glossed over issues during Thatcher’s reign. The ghost husband idea was a bit too mockish, especially the end… but performances were exciting and wonderful.”
“Powerful! Streep is a treasure!”
“The acting was superb and the portrayal of Thatcher was uncanny.”
“Meryl Streep as a Brit? She did it! The nuances of facial expressions and eye movements are spectacular.”
“Brilliant. How can Streep ever top this? Well, it’s Meryl – maybe!”
“How interesting that such a tough iron lady was such a softy with her husband.”
“A creative and artistic view of dementia.”
“Two different stories which didn’t come together well enough to provide any answers.”
“I didn’t like the movie any more than I liked Margaret Thatcher. Too choppy and styled. Meryl Streep is a marvel from chef to chief, she’s ultimately the great mimic!”
“Thoroughly modern Maggie.”
“Great performances. Still can’t get passed her despicable politics. Dentures by Fang! There was no indication that any Thatcher family member either helped or approved of this movie. The other parallel - Thatcher And Reagan both had Dementia!”
“The movie and Meryl were wonderful. Phyllida has done a terrific job of portraying the woman and the politician. I didn’t recognize Meryl in the opening scene, not till she was sitting at the table could I recognize her under that fabulous make-up job. I really liked the back and forth (the memories and reflections). The make-up artist deserves several awards. She really was transformed in a very real way.”
“Unlike Hoover, the make-up and prosthetics were so believable that it was easy to forget that Meryl Streep was underneath. Sadly we see the aged Margaret Thatcher, but we get a rare glimpse into her brilliance, tenacity and ultimately her demise. It brought historical references that have been forgotten, but a reminder of the brief brutality of Irish bombings, demonstrators against Thatcher’s policies and of course The Falklands War. There was a news blackout at the time so we didn’t get the real tragedy of war. Gorgeous film, both moving and informative. Streep is a goddess. She can transform herself into any character real or created.”
