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

17 again, 2009

17 again, 2009
Director: Burr Steers
Cast: Zach Efron, Matthew Perry, Leslie Mann



Stage: Home TV selection, Monday evening.



17 again in short: At 17 Mike O'Donnell is on top of the world: he's the star of his high school basketball team, is a shoo-in for a college scholarship, and is dating his soul-mate, Scarlet. But at what's supposed to be his big game where a college scout is checking him out, Scarlet reveals that she's pregnant. Mike decides to leave the game and asks Scarlet to marry him, which she does. During their marriage, Mike can only whine about the life he lost because he married her, so she throws him out. When he also loses his job, he returns to the only place he's happy at, his old high school. While looking at his high school photo, a janitor asks him if he wishes he could be 17 again and he says yes. One night while driving he sees the janitor on a bridge ready to jump, and goes after him. When he returns to his friend Ned's house, where he has been staying, he sees that he is 17 again. He decides to take this opportunity to get the life he lost.


Preps.. Think I have seen this already. Am not sure. Or I started it.. nevertheless, I know the story so it seems a good substitute for my spanish (cancelled) class.


Reality: Arh. Again, one in the range of movies about the same topic. Becoming young again. Getting a second chance. Something you blew when you were young. Or think you did and get a remorsement and a good shot to repair the damage.
In any case, the movie sets off really teenagish, if I may say so. High school drill, homerun or a basketball game, the man of the game leaves the life behind because his girlfriend is pregnant. Gets a second chance 20 years later, which he lives being depressive over the thought he blew it all away because of a pregnant girlfriend.
In any case, waking up as a teenager again means loads of things. Once in a while I am surprised with the way a new creature is represented and placed into the story. Usually, these types of a movie come up with a substitute (either adult playing his teenage son/daughter and vice versa). So in some sense, this is an upgrade. A nephew, a lost son, coming to town for a school year.
Now the fun can begin. He still has a mind of a 40 year old, hence he chases elder women (inappropriate for his current age anyway). Now, what does he seek.. to upgrade the basketball career, to fell in love again.. as a spectator you are not sure. But for a fact, this piece is about getting close together with your family again, cherish what you have achieved and not aim for the stars, because you are going to miss the current fun. It is funny, how we spend lifetimes dreaming about things we think we could have, but in fact never achieve them, plus, we never indulge things that are at the touch of our hands. So close, yet, we never appreciate given things in our lives and current achievements.
Numerous funny scenes derive from simple momentum where you have an adult thrown into the pimple high school world again. World, where you get your ass literally stuck to the toilet, because your friendly schoolfriends used some superglu on you. World, where there is no alcohol yet, and no real parties. World, where you get to study hard and do not have any real legal rights. So untattractive, it seems, once you get to think. For me, I would never get back to my high school. However, I would go back in the years I have studied. Those were better years, with means and measurements, with fun and work, with almost being adult problems and solutions. When you are bold. When you dare. When you think you can be the president if you wanted.

The moral of the movie is really Hollywood like. I mean, come on. If a couple needs a divorce, it should get one. For the better of all involved. In this case, the remorsement or the second chance takes place. Women are obliged to forgive. Should I say inclined to forgive? Hm..
A semi average comedy. Amusing to watch. Won't give you any depth or any solutions. In this case, a weirdo with a beard saves the day. And a happy ending is inevitable. But in this piece, I kinda like it.



My personal rating: 6,0 (a decent vice versa comedy. Funny and thoughtful. Plus, a super excellent neatly assembled piece of a young man. Almost illegaly handsome young man).


17 again on IMDB

Riding in cars with boys, 2001

Riding in Cars with Boys, 2001
Director: Penny Marshall
Cast: Drew Barrymore, Steve Zahn, Adam Garcia, Brittany Murphy



Stage: Home TV selection, late Sunday night.


Riding in short: Seriocomic story based on the memoir by Beverly Donofrio, the movie follows a young woman who finds her life radically altered by an event from her teen years. Born in 1950, Beverly grew up bright and ambitious in a working-class neighborhood in Connecticut; her father was a tough but good-hearted cop who listened to his daughter's problems, and her mother was a nervous woman eager to imagine the worst. From an early age, Beverly displays a keen intelligence and an interest in literature, and dreams of going to college in New York and becoming a writer. However, she also develops an early interest in boys, and at 15 finds herself madly in love with a boy from her high school. However, an attempt to get his attention leads to an embarassing incident at a party, and Ray, a sweet but thick-headed 18-year-old, steps forward to defend her. Beverly and Ray end up making out, and after one thing leads to another...



Preps: Hm. Drew Barrymore, Brittany Murphy. I am interested. Plus, seeing the trailer, kinda draggs my attention. I would like to see someone in a role of a "single mum", making on her own.



Reality: Well, the movie has a strong message. Don't get pregnant at 15 if you don't have any means to support your family. It happens to two best friends, each one with a different background, hence, different Chances to succeed in life. To marry because you are obliged to due to a child seems nonsense, however, in some environments or time, the only thing possible.

I personalize with the movie, because I am a child deriving from the same environment. My two got married because of the pregnancy, disregarding the fact they weren't meant to last (which they knew when they got hitched), anyhow, it ended up in a divorce and me being the only child with a single and very poor mother. Somehow very similar to this storyline, depicted here. In some sense, I believe people with a similar story, will find this one to be extremely deep and filled with emotions, without any possible escape to live up her dreams, as Drew Barrymore (Beverly) so intensively wants to. The difference is that having a child and making a decision when you are 15 (when you almost completely depend on the parents) is one thing. My mother in this case was fully adult and way beyond 18 when this happened. The point is, that no matter when it happens, it's never a walk in the park, if you don't have the financial backup and are a single mother (or father for that matter).

In some sense, the movie wouldn't be as emotional if the roles were given to a single father. I believe the target audience for this piece to be women, beyond 30, possibly with a child. So you can easily interact and depict yourself in the same situation.
I must confess I wanted to stop watching the movie after 20 minutes. It didn't have any energy, I thought the dialogues were awful. As if the movie was from 1980, not 2000. The characters were lame, Drew or Murphy were awful. I thought this would be a painful experience, I hated the scenes, found the words outspoken, stupid as hell.
Then something changed. When the couple decides to have a baby despite the youth and get married, I am suddenly interested, whether they would make it and how the flow is going to continue. Hence, I didn't stop watching, and was deeply rewarded for this. The movie directly reminded me of my deceased mother and was indeed painful, however in true dramatic sense. I was amazed by the way this mother and her child handled everyday truth and challenges, and how one or another made everything revolve around them, disregarding the world around. As I saw the wreck that the father became, it also reminded me on my own situation and my own feelings when I was just in my early twenties.

In any case, for me the piece brought some interactions with my history and therefore I liked it. I wouldn't disregard my first feeling about it. I think most of the audience, that cannot connect on this level, won't find it attractive enough to watch it to its end.





My personal rating: 7,0 (The movie was something personal to me, as I could personalize with the characters, the situation and I could see my mum carrying the same burden for my complete childhood)


Riding in cars with boys on IMDB