The Iron Lady, 2011

The Iron Lady, 2011
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Cast: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant


Stage: Home theatre, a good easter evening with a few of my girlfriends.


The Iron Lady in short: Elderly and a virtual prisoner in her own home due to her concerned staff and daughter Carol, Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first woman prime minister, looks back on her life as she clears out her late husband Denis's clothes for the Oxfam shop. Denis is seen as being her rock as she first enters parliament and then runs for the leadership of the Conservative Party, culminating in her eventual premiereship. Now his ghost joins her to comment on her successes and failures, sometimes to her annoyance, generally to her comfort until ultimately, as the clothes are sent to the charity shop, Denis departs from Margret's life forever.



Preps: Meryl got an oscar for this one. The piece I need to see. I am a fan of Streep, however not in this sort of movies. She somehow gives me a perception she might be better in lighter movies. This is a drama, a notorious one, because none of UK (nationalistic spoken) citizen want to acknowledge/praise this piece. It's supposed to be telling quite the opposite from the truth. Therefore, one way or another, I need to see it and am anxious about it.



Reality: Well, one thing is certain. I get the part where UK people don't want to express any gratitude towards this piece. None of us wants to be portrayed in this manner - being helpless and having memories of the past chase you up to the point where you cannot tell the reality from your hidden past. In some sense, the movie portrays a wrecked human being, being so ill that she can no longer deliver what she once could.
The devastating and really realistic part is when you are trying to figure how hard must it be for the family, friends to acknowledge that one person is not the same anymore. That it is sick beyond belief. And what to do about it. Lie to everyone? Accept that this is a fact most of us are faced with at some point in life? And that also strong polititians are just humans and cannot avoid it. Obviously in political world, the stamina of an image (in terms of what the perception of a crowd for this person is), is the most important one. For this image, some polititians are willing to cross any border possible, only to maintain the image. At any cost. Is this a good thing or not, is a matter of a discussion. However, in my eyes, the "human" touch that this movie poses to the iron lady, doesn't influence on my opinion of her deeds in past. In some sense, it only portrays the everlasting effect of getting old and having to live with it. Surpassing the pride and accepting that some positions are going to slip from us once we are too old /incapable of living up to the expectations. I just want to point out that I am aware that the hatred of UK towards the movie shows their deep admiration and loyalty towards a polititian, which isn't a bad thing, however in some cases it may not lead to the wisest decision on the political floor.
The other thing that is really intriguing about the movie is the simple walk-through through Margaret's life from the start. How she ended up in politics anyway and how hard it must have been, being the first lady on the floor. Having a room where you cannot have whiskey, but you do have an iron and a desk to iron something (how weird is that)?!?. The negotiations, where you cannot be equal to men, like it or not. A hard path, yet necessary to improve the position of a lady on political dance floor.
This piece isn't really dynamic and could be shorter. Hard piece to watch, especially if your mind trembles with fear of once getting to that point, where you can see ghosts from the pasts that chase you and are trying to persuade you they still exist, advise you and talk to you. In some sense, one of the hardest movies lately, showing reality as you are clinging to the position you are probably no longer able to maintain.

My personal rating: 6,5 (hm. interesting in terms of surpassing the image when getting old. Definitely a too long and non-dynamic piece. But Streep is marvellous).


The Iron Lady on IMDB