THE IRON LADY (Phyllida Lloyd, Weinstein Co., 2011)

While THE IRON LADY (Phyllida Lloyd, Weinstein Co., 2011) tells the story of two distinct Margaret Thatchers, the film itself has two really distinct qualities when judging it on its merits.  The narrative concerning Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep) deals with her rise to power as well as her tenure as Prime Minister.  The other side of this narrative is an elderly Thatcher stricken by and dealing with dementia.  The film splits between the excellent with Streep's portrayal of Thatcher and the superficiality of the balance of the film.  When everything is finished, the film leaves you wanting more.

More is exactly what we want to see of the great Meryl Streep.  Easily the most Academy nominated actor ever, she is in my opinion the greatest actress we have seen on film.  The way she inhabits roles, subverting herself to fully envelope the part is just a wonder to watch.  She embodies Margaret Thatcher, across a vast age range.  Where she is most remarkable though is as the older Thatcher, suffering from dementia and attempting to come to grips with her diminished capacities.  The best thing an actor can accomplish is to make you empathize with a character particularly when they are at their worst.  As Thatcher berates one of her cabinet members towards the end of her term as Prime Minister we know she is starting to become ill.  But our knowledge doesn't make her reprehensible and uncivilized behavior okay.  And this is where Streep is remarkable.  Because she fully embodies Thatcher and as an audience we have stopped thinking of her in any capacity other than Thatcher, we lose that disconnect and completely and totally relate to her as Thatcher.  Her work is nothing short of remarkable.

Unfortunately the inimitable Meryl Streep wasn't doing everything else for the film.  The film struck me as very similar to a movie of the week.  Extremely superficial the film makes points for hitting the high points of Thatchers tenure as Prime Minister.  But at the same time it would have you believe that the Falklands conflict was the high point for Thatcher and her major accomplishment as PM.  Neither does the film delve into any real depth of character regarding Thatcher and her motivations other than being a woman in a male dominated world.  And the unspoken pink elephant in the narrative is her unbelievable parallels to Ronald Reagan.  A closer look at both politicians and their respective legacies as well any insight into the fracturing of their minds would have added so much to the film.

In the end the film is just too much of a clash of styles.  The film could have a serious tone but too often stylistic choices are made which don't mix with such a tone.  This might be a reflection of the fracturing of Thatcher's mind, it might be representative of a Great Britain in a state of turmoil.  Either way these choices didn't work for me as a viewer.  And in the end these choices make it near impossible for Meryl Streep to even overcome, at her best or not.