The Iron Lady

Movie Name: The Iron Lady

Year of Release: 2011

Director: Phyllida Lloyd

Stars: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Alexandra Roach, Olivia Colman, Iain Glen, Richard E. Grant, Anthony Head, Roger Allam, Michael Pennington, John Sessions, Harry Lloyd

Genre: Drama

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 6

Synopsis:

Phyllida Lloyd has made her name as a theatre director, having previously directed for the screen the highly successful and extremely mediocre "Mamma Mia" with Meryl Streep and Pierce Brosnan. "The Iron Lady" follows the story of Margaret Roberts/Thatcher, who rose to prominence in the late 70s to become the prime minister of the UK for 12 years. The film explores the life of Margaret Thatcher, from her humble beginnings, but focuses mostly on her ascension to power, mixing that focus with her current life, retired and struggling with dementia.
Phyllida Lloyd's film lives from the remarkable portrait of Meryl Streep. Meryl Streep embodies the character through and through, creating a woman filled with flaws and self doubts, someone who is alone in her pursuits, but also ferocious in her approach to life. It's a portrait so strong and overwhelming, that the film almost feels like a supporting element to display her amazing performance. The film does falter in the fact that all that made Margaret Thatcher such a polarizing figure is never really broached, the supporting characters are almost non-existent or not really defined, but the film allows for Meryl Streep to paint a rich canvas for a woman, who for better and worse changed the life of England for such a long time. A film worth watching!