The Iron Lady (UK, 2011) ***

The Iron LadyWhether one appreciates Margaret Thatcher’s regime, or looks back at it as a period filled with bad memories, surely no one would take her for a frail old lady suffering from dementia. Though seemingly not the filmmakers’ intention, Thatcher could not have been wronged more than her depiction in The Iron Lady. This is to say that even showing her as a monstrous leader disregarding human rights, as some held her to be, could not have done her legacy more damage than this sympathetic film. The idea of showing her at present, aging and confused, may sound good on paper, especially as a contradiction to her Iron Lady nickname. Yet, as noble and almost poetic as it may sound, it does injustice to Thatcher the historical figure. In short, the film should have focused more on Thatcher the person, her rise to power (which it does) and her time as a prime minister, than her present illness. Still, with Meryl Streep at the helm, even a mediocre film is a gem. Just when you thought Streep cannot do any better roles, she comes out in a new film that outdoes her previous achievements. It is Streep that makes this film tick, and makes it watch-worthy.