Todd's Blog: The Iron Lady Lacks Spine

Regardless of your political persuasion, it is impossible to deny that Margaret Thatcher was an extraordinary public figure. Her impact on the United Kingdom and the world was legendary, as was her formidable nature. With that as a context, watching “The Iron Lady” is something of a let down. I’m not sure what the filmmakers were thinking when they put this film together but taking one of the most powerful women that ever lived and choosing to portray her mostly through the lens of dementia does not do justice to a leader who absolutely dominated British politics in the 1980s. The film offers the promise of being definitive but instead, we are presented with a half-baked notion of what might have been a great film about an extraordinary person.

The sequences that work the best in the film can best be described as flashbacks. In these scenes, we see Margaret Thatcher in action. These scenes are golden, but as soon as you start getting in to it, the film arbitrarily moves back to the demented Thatcher, robbing those scenes of the dramatic power they appear to impart. Scenes of Thatcher dominating the Parliament intercut with scenes of an elderly Thatcher day-dreaming about her dead husband do not gel well together. What is the point the filmmakers are trying to make exactly? This film’s title suggests an inside view of the world of Margaret Thatcher, but instead, the title mocks its subject by presenting a woman who is only a shadow of her former self. I guess that’s life, and this is art imitating it. But this is also a film; absolute reality is not always a requirement. Nor is it I suppose that filmmakers always choose the most appropriate focus for their films.

Meryl Streep is nothing if not amazing. Her impressive attention to detail in delivering her performances is unparalleled and a marvel to watch. Her turn as Margaret Thatcher is no different. Her tone of voice and body language are so precise to their subject that you would not be hard pressed to think you were looking at the real thing. These nuances that Streep has built in to her performance elevate the film beyond something merely passable. When watching her on screen, you see Margaret Thatcher. If you have any doubt about this, look up some videos of Thatcher online and you will see how much Streep has nailed this performance. Tackling a real life subject must be the hardest type of role for an actor to take on but Streep makes it all look so effortless. No doubt she spent an incredible amount of time researching and preparing for this role. Anything less than what she has given in this performance would most likely have been seen as a disappointment given the subject matter. Streep’s performance as the elderly Margaret Thatcher is also flawless, and almost makes these sequences justifiable. Kudos to one of the best actors in the industry!

I believe filmmakers always have the best of intentions. Perhaps the idea behind “The Iron Lady” was to highlight the debilitating condition of dementia and place it on a high profile figure so as to help promote the cause. In which case, the film should not have been called “The Iron Lady”. As it stands, this film should almost be considered either a sequel or an addendum to a definitive portrayal of Margaret Thatcher that hasn’t been produced yet. Line up Meryl Streep again to play her in such a film and you could potentially have something quite riveting. It’s not too late to do it!