The Iron Lady (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (2011)

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Product Details

• Actors: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent
• Directors: Phyllida Lloyd
• Format: Color, Widescreen
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region A/1 (Read more about DVD/Blu-ray formats.)
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 2
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: The Weinstein Company
• DVD Release Date: April 10, 2012
• Run Time: 105 minutes
  

 

The Iron Lady (Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) (2011)

 

Customer Reviews

I was fortunate to see a screening of The Iron Lady, and can report that expectations that Meryl Streep's performance is incredible are fully justified. Having seen her in many roles, this was not surprising--she's widely regarded as one of the greatest living actresses--but her transformation here into an elderly woman, including the accent, the makeup, the attitudes and personality, is nothing short of astonishing. Thatcher's very conservative politics and abrasive manner are of course very controversial--and this portrayal of them is very timely. But regardless of the viewer's politics, I can't imagine anyone watching this and not feeling he or she has seen something remarkable.
The story of Thatcher's life is told through a series of flashbacks experienced by the woman long after she left office as the British prime minister with the longest tenure of the 20th century, and its first woman PM. We see how she entered politics, met her husband, rose to power, earned the Iron Lady nickname, and was pushed from office by her own party. For those unfamiliar with her life and politics, it's educational, at least superficially. An attempt is made to deviate from the straightforward biopic format by having Thatcher's mind failing during her old age, resulting in hallucinations about her deceased husband punctuating the film. This device is effective, but still, this is a not-quite-conventional movie about the life of one historical figure, made interesting primarily by Streep's stunning ability to inhabit her subject, and thereby not only cause us to appreciate Streep's art, but also feel at least a little compassion for an aging woman no longer in power.

Let me begin by saying that I think Meryl Streep is perhaps the most talented actress to EVER appear in films. It is no coincidence that she has been nominated for Academy Awards and Golden Globes more often than any other person.
That being said, "The Iron Lady" is neither a "crown jewel" nor a "feather in her cap."
There must have been a powerful draw to portray Dame Margaret Thatcher, the first (and so far, only) female Prime Minister of Great Britain. But when I think of recent "real-life" biopics like "Ray" or "The King's Speech" (or even "Julie ; Julia", which featured Streep as famed Chef Julia Child), "The Iron Lady" falls short. Far short.
The film is anchored in a recent time - with Mrs. Thatcher an old widow, at least a little demented and frequented by hallucinations of her dead husband, played by Jim Broadbent in maybe the film's best performance. The rest of the film is told in clumsy flashbacks, but always returns to doddering old Maggie - Ms. Streep under an often distractingly bad pile of makeup. Old Margaret shuffles around the house, looks confused, stares out the window, and absolutely sucks any life from the narrative. (Here the fault lies not with Ms. Streep, but with the screenplay and direction. And perhaps editor. Was there no one putting the final product together who looked at "the forest" and noticed "hey... we've got about half of the running time devoted to old Margaret shuffling around, getting in and out of bed, etc.?")
In REALLY brief don't-blink-or-you'll-miss-them flashbacks we see the Margaret who grows up the daughter of a grocer with a political bent, marries a young earnest man who sees that Margaret is determined to become the powerful half of a couple, has twins, runs for office, and is finally thrust forward as Leader of the Conservative Party and elected Prime Minister.
In a good biopic (like last year's King's Speech) you get a good feel for not only the central figure, but also those surrounding. In "The Iron Lady" I never felt any connection to anyone. Other players, such as daughters, other members of Parliament or American Secretaries of State, show up long enough to be cast aside by the ambitious "Iron Lady".
How I wish that this film had reached the scope of "Gandhi" or the emotional depth of "The Queen." The Mrs. and I agreed that it is likely that both Ms. Streep and Dame Thatcher herself are not pleased with the result. We know we weren't - and it isn't OUR movie.
Addendum: Last Sunday Meryl Streep and her make-up team both won Academy Awards for this film. Neither of these facts change my opinion. I read a post-Oscar article that suggested that the Make-up Award was given BECAUSE of Streep's performance. Perhaps, but that being said, the Mrs. and I saw "J.Edgar" since I wrote my original review here - and the "old age makeup" for Leonardo DiCaprio was substantially more believable than what we saw in "The Iron Lady." Again - my major beef for this film is not at all related to Ms. Streep's performance or to the makeup, but rather to the overall movie and the amount of time it devoted to depicting a very old and very demented Margaret Thatcher. Because of the award, someone unfamiliar with Street's total body of work could be tempted to think this performance and film superior to The Deer Hunter, Out of Africa, Bridges of Madison County, Doubt, etc. IMHO - this would be incorrect.