The Iron Lady (2011)

Margaret Thatcher was one of the most famous women in the world. She was the first female Prime Minister of Britain and one of the most controversial members of Parliament in British politics. She received her nickname, “the iron lady,” due to her stubborn stands during complicated situations, like initiating a war with Argentina. Many people have wildly different views on the woman and this film wisely decides to take no sides. This is one of the rare biopics that is actually subjective about its topic. Anyone with any views can watch the movie and feel that they agree, meaning that it follows life as closely as possible, which is similarly unbiased. The facts are here. Think for yourself.

Director Phillida Lloyd has previously made only one other film, Mamma Mia. That fact alone should make anyone question the quality of this movie and I am not sure how much of its success has anything to do with Lloyd. I do like the way the film plays out, though. It begins with an aging Thatcher, getting slowly sicker and more delusional, as she thinks back to all the high and low points of her life, with primary focus being on her rise to and fall from the title of Prime Minister. This flashback form of presentation allows the movie to simply skim over the facts of Thatcher’s big life and focus on more important character aspects. This is not a movie about a Prime Minister, but about a woman, one who is weak and is fighting not to be. Meryl Streep stars and proves there is nothing to worry about when it comes to an American playing an important British figure. She is her usual splendid self, here giving a performance that is particularly exceptional considering she spends a good half of the film under heavy make-up. The fact that we do forget that it is Streep under all that is a great sign. Both in youth and age, she never goes into pointless theatrics to convince us of her role, but allows the presence of the character to speak for itself, and it is a powerful one. This is a prime example of a one woman show at work.

The Iron Lady has caused almost as much of an opinionated divide as the subject on which it is based. Margaret Thatcher’s children have claimed the film is pure fantasy, while others complain that it is indecisive to a fault. If this movie had picked a side and been some sort of propaganda it would not have been as good. As it is, the film need not have even been about Margaret Thatcher as a political figure because it is so in tune to the more interesting aspects of her psyche instead. Therefore, it doesn’t matter to me that “ important” facts may have been overlooked in favor of material that actually drives this story. In my opinion, this is the way a docudrama should be handled, especially in comparison to something like J. Edgar, which also featured a stellar performance as well as spotless direction, but was ultimately rather empty. The Iron Lady is not just a history lesson. It expands on the history and makes it relevant for a modern age.

8/10