The Iron Lady (2011)
It had become a running joke, albeit not a very funny one, to tease Meryl Streep at the Oscars because she was always nominated and never won. Nearly thirty years of continual nominations after Sophie’s Choice, she finally won for the third time when she portrayed Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. Those of you who have seen a good chunk of Meryl’s movies will wonder why she went so long without another statuette. Although this movie contains yet another excellent performance, why was it the one that earned her a win, rather than Doubt, The Bridges of Madison County, The French Lieutenant’s Woman, or A Cry in the Dark? Hollywood has a soft spot for portrayals of real people, and it also has a soft spot for portrayals of heads of state. The Iron Lady was a double-whammy, so I guess none of the other nominees stood a chance.
Meryl isn’t the only actress to portray Margaret Thatcher in the movie; much of the running time is devoted to her earlier life, and through flashbacks, Alexandra Roach takes the screen. Her husband is also split and shared by two actors: Harry Lloyd as the younger and Jim Broadbent as the older.
The movie is full of fun one-liners that can be quoted and included in Oscar clips, and once again, Meryl is wrapped up into another excellent screen transformation. If you’re looking for a really meaty drama about England’s prime minister, you might be left wanting after the end of this movie. There’s so much information that could have been included, and when you’re making a biopic on a grand scale, with a large focus on her marriage, politicos in the audience might find it watered-down. Fans of Meryl are obviously going to want to rent it, as well as those who like it when Jim Broadbent makes them cry. The beginning scene is fantastic, but it does go a bit downhill from there.
More Meryl Streep movies here!
Meryl isn’t the only actress to portray Margaret Thatcher in the movie; much of the running time is devoted to her earlier life, and through flashbacks, Alexandra Roach takes the screen. Her husband is also split and shared by two actors: Harry Lloyd as the younger and Jim Broadbent as the older.
The movie is full of fun one-liners that can be quoted and included in Oscar clips, and once again, Meryl is wrapped up into another excellent screen transformation. If you’re looking for a really meaty drama about England’s prime minister, you might be left wanting after the end of this movie. There’s so much information that could have been included, and when you’re making a biopic on a grand scale, with a large focus on her marriage, politicos in the audience might find it watered-down. Fans of Meryl are obviously going to want to rent it, as well as those who like it when Jim Broadbent makes them cry. The beginning scene is fantastic, but it does go a bit downhill from there.
More Meryl Streep movies here!