MOVIE REVIEW - The Iron Lady

Someone needs to explain to me how Meryl Streep continues to get huge roles, and get an Oscar nomination seemingly every single year. Well, maybe the reason is pretty basic. She is possibly in the sum of all of her works, the greatest movie actress ever.

I have never been a big Streep fan, but I have always respected her talent. And here she takes on the gigantic role of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. And she is magnificent. For the most part she plays an aged Thatcher at the end of her life, after her husbands Dennis' death, with dementia, and senility. But she does play Thatcher as the charismatic, powerful first ever woman PM of Great Britain.

The Iron Lady is a movie is good. Although, I feel the direction this movie takes is a bit questionable. Much of this shows the well past her prime Thatcher, and for me. And a little bit of that goes a long way. The scenes where she is the Thatcher we all knew in the 1980's and 1990's as PM, are far more compelling as we get to know exactly who she was as a politician. This movie is told in flashback form, weaving in and out of the aged Thatcher and the young, younger and more vibrant one.

Should be noted that huge kudos need to go to Alexandra Roach who plays the very young Thatcher in this movie, and she is also terrific. Hair, makeup, and costuming is incredibly spot on for both characters, it really is amazing. Streep is wonderful, and she has Thatcher down to a science. The bulk of the supporting cast is well cast, and solid.

For those hoping to recapture the magic of last years The Kings Speech, this is not on the same level. TIL is good, solid, and well done. But to be fair, Roach and Streep are far better than this movie. I know that sounds contradictory, but it's true. The script and direction of this piece for me, is very sullen, dark at times, flat out not as interesting as this great woman really was. I feel for a piece on such an important 20th century figure, they sold her short. Yes, they do at times showcase her political side, and what she had to deal with, but there is far more attention paid to her later years of dementia, and her hallucinations in her small flat well past her greatest years.

The Iron Lady. At times uplifting and insightful. But mostly a large opportunity missed. Roach and Streep's performances as stellar, but this movie can only muster a "good."