Film: The Iron Lady
Cast includes: Meryl Streep (The Devil Wears Prada), Jim Broadbent (Moulin Rouge!), Alexandra Roach (Being Human TV), Harry Lloyd (Robin Hood), Richard E. Grant (Gosford Park)
Director: Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!)
Genre: Biographical Drama (2011)
“49p for milk?” It’s quite a shock, but she pays it… they need milk for their breakfast, after all. “49p for milk… we’ll have to economize,” Margret exclaims as Denis puts too much butter on his toast. “We may have to sell the car… or take in paying guests,” Denis answers with a twinkle in his eye. As we soon see, Denis isn’t really there… he died in 2003, but Margret still carries on conversations with him. Carol checks in on her mom, hoping Margret will soon be ready to clear out his clothes. There are books to sign and invitations to answer. Margret Thatcher has a lot on her plate, even though she’s frail and well into her 80s. While signing copies of her book, she suddenly remembers the days in her father’s grocery store. Even then, it was obvious that Margret wasn’t destined to spend her life as a housewife. Her “place at Oxford” was her ticket out of Grantham.
She’s thinks about the IRA bombing of the Brighton Hotel. “We must never ever, ever give in to terrorists,” we see Prime Minister Thatcher saying. “Please don’t fuss,” Margret tells her daughter. “The last thing I ever wanted to do was fuss about my mother.” Of course Margret “always preferred the company of men.” When her colleagues in parliament questioned a woman’s ability to understand government responsibility, Margret is unflinching… “Some may call it responsibility. I call it good housekeeping.” Oxford is where she met Denis, who adored her can-do spirit. When he proposed, Margret wanted an understanding. “I cannot die washing up a tea cup.” But that’s what he loved about her. Still, in looking back on her life, there were parts she’d rather not remember… and at times she wishes Denis would finally just go away.
If you’re hoping to see a biography of Margret Thatcher’s life as Britain’s longest serving Prime Minister of the 20th century, you’ll be disappointed. If you’re hoping to see her vilified (or glorified), you’ll be disappointed. The Iron Lady is like an impressionist painting… it gives us little glimpses into her character, but it never attempts to connect them into a biography. We get a feel for why the Soviet media first nicknamed Thatcher “the Iron Lady” but not many specifics. The film deliberately and skillfully dips in and out of Thatcher’s history, alternated with her present-day life. Meryl Streep gives an excellent performance, although we’d like to forget we’re watching an actress playing a part. But it’s not quite possible. The script includes many memorable Thatcher quotes, and that is perhaps the best part of the film. When Thatcher is teaching her daughter to drive, her advice gives us insight into her views on life… “The only thing you must remember is that everyone else is either reckless or inept.”
3 popped kernels
Interesting character study, many quotable lines but not a lot of specifics
Popcorn Profile
Rated: PG-13
Primary Audience: Grown-ups
Gender Appeal: Any audience
Distribution: Mainstream wide release
Mood: Neither upbeat nor somber
Tempo: Cruises comfortably
Visual Style: Nicely varnished realism
Character Development: Engaging
Language: True to life
Social Significance: Thought provoking
