‘The Iron Lady’ was the 2011 film directed by Phyllida Lloyd. Screenwriter was Abi Morgan. Starring Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Anthony Head, Richard E. Grant, Iain Glen and Olivia Colman.
Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep) rose from her working class background to become one of the most powerful women in Britain. Her father Alfred Roberts (Iain Glen) inspired a take no prisoner’s attitude. Her marriage to respected businessman Denis Thatcher (Jim Broadbent) elevated her social status.
The old boy politicians constantly threw up roadblocks throughout in her political career. She was relentless, dogmatic and wouldn’t be denied. She dodged attempts to derail her. Fought and crawled her way to being the Prime Minister. A position no-one, including her own family, dreamed she would ever obtain.
Political landmines throughout her reign. High unemployment rates, unpopular policies, riots, death threats, assassination attempts, loss of close friends and the Falkland Islands controversy. Geoffrey Howe’s (Anthony Head) resignation was the beginning of the end. Blood was in the water.
Michael Heseltine (Richard E. Grant) takes over the party. People abandoned Thatcher. She’s forced to resign. The vote of no confidence, decades of unyielding stress, estrange-ment from her children and her husband’s death may have been precipitating factors to her dementia.
The good: It was brilliant! What more can be said. A film of well-deserved accolades. Raise your hand if you wanted more Meryl Streep as Thatcher. The movie could’ve been longer.
The bad: We got insight into Margaret Thatcher. But it was lacking in the other characters. Wanted to care but didn’t have enough information. Don’t know if the dynamics of her personal and professional relationships were entirely accurate or the Hollywood version.
The ugly: Were people ambivalent towards her dementia? Or sharks in the water?
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