As she doesn’t give me wood, I’m guessing The Iron Lady isn’t about golf. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
Margaret Thatcher is among the most revered figures in 20th Century politics. Hence the producers decided to explore our collective reverence through the eyes of a demented old woman. Is that not an odd choice? This Thatcher biopic is told entirely in memoir mode from the present day, where we see old Maggie still decisive as ever, but frail and having constant hallucinations of her late husband Denis (Jim Broadbent). I can only hope when I get old that I am not haunted by Jim Broadbent, although admittedly there are certainly worse potential ghosts out there.
Because so much of The Iron Lady is spent in the 21st Century, we actually get precious little of Margaret Thatcher’s reign as Prime Minister. The common thread seems to be that she never really fit in anywhere, which became both her greatest strength and greatest weakness. She had the metaphorical balls to succeed and even thrive in the all boys club and lead the conservative movement in the U.K. to rival the same in the United States (no wonder she and Ronald Reagan got along so well). On the other hand, I can’t think of a worse political trait than an inability to compromise. Politics is 100% about figuring out how to get what you want. Every non-dictator realizes that comes with concessions in some variety.
For the most part Phyllida Lloyd has attempted to create something even-handed. The protests and anger and “methinks the Lady doth screech too much” indeed counter the triumphs. We do see a glimpse into the director’s true feelings when a retrospective radio snippet laundry-lists Margaret Thatcher’s highlights as Prime Minister and then proceeds to mention, “her detractors, however …” and then cuts off almost instantly.
Did she really just compare the Falklands to Pearl Harbor? To Al Haig, no less? Did he let her get away with that?
Meryl Streep is awesome again. She shines in this relatively dull work. Streep could win an Oscar for The Iron Lady and yet it remains possible this performance still wouldn’t rank in her personal top 10. I have no problem with either of those statements.
20th Century English political biopics have been Academy gold of late. Stephen Frears’ The Queen (2006), Tom Hooper’s The King’s Speech (2010) both took multiple nominations. And let’s not forget Madonna’s W.E. clearly in line for sweeping all major awards this year. Is it cynical to assume a movie like this gets made just for the potential awards? Because while The Iron Lady does boast an impressive performance, it boasts almost nothing else.
Bottom line is this biopic of an intensely political figure is exceedingly short on the political. That may play well with an older and wiser crowd. I, however, found myself bored with dementia-addled Maggie. I know it wasn’t Phyllida Lloyd‘s intention, but reducing a prime ministry of 11+ years to “I kicked Argentinian junta ass once”, important as it may have been, seems kind of condescending.
Rated PG-13 , 105 Minutes
D: Phyllida Lloyd
W: Abi Morgan
Genre: “My client needs an Oscar.”
Type of person most likely to enjoy this film: Meryl Streep groupies
Type of person least likely to enjoy this film: Anarchists
You didn’t mention that Jim Broadbent was great fun–he helped things along when the film got slow. I didn’t find it boring, though–perhaps because I was much more interested in Thatcher as person rather than Thatcher as politician.