The history of any great nation, rests on some broad shoulders and great minds. The same can be said for any great film.
Sadly, “The Iron Lady,” falls short of great, and Meryl Streep’s shoulders are not quite broad enough.
Phyllida Lloyd’s “The Iron Lady,” had some exciting material to work with. Margaret Thatcher’s 11 years as the British prime minister were many things, and dull was not one of them.
“The Iron Lady,” begins years after Margaret Thatcher’s (Meryl Streep) reign as prime minister. Unrecognizable and forgotten by the people she once governed, she lives alone in a poorly lit flat, with the hallucination/ghost of her deceased husband Denis Thatcher (Jim Broadbent).
Completely comprised of flashbacks, the film rushes through Margaret’s childhood, her courtship with Denis and election into the House of Commons.
With the exception of a whirl wind election and the occasional shouting match in the House of Commons, it feels like we never leave that dark, gloomy apartment.
The story leaves much to be desired. The film attempts to show the price paid for power, but it’s hard to see how much was lost when we barely see what they had to lose.
The film spends too much time dwelling on the past instead of actually exploring it.
Merrill Streep, per her usual, is impressive as the former British prime minister. She commands attention, and it’s easy to see why this impressive woman was the first female prime minister, not just in Great Britain, but in the entire West. However, her sometimes scary, spot-on performance is not enough to distract from the rest of the film.
Despite its best efforts and excellent casting,”The Iron Lady,” falls short of expectations, and the great mind and broad shoulders of its namesake.
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