Title: The Iron Lady
Year: 2011
Language: English
Country: UK, France
Genre: Biography, Drama
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Writer: Abi Morgan
Cast:
Meryl Streep
Jim Broadbent
Olivia Colman
Alexandra Roach
Harry Lloyd
Iain Glen
Susan Brown
Nicholas Farrell
Anthony Head
Richard E. Grant
Nick Dunning
Roger Allam
Rating: 7/10

An impeccable mimicry equals the paramount achievement of acting? I often doubt this proposition, for this film, my almost-zero background information allows me to perceive Margaret Thatcher as a total outsider and I would be conveyed by the film (chiefly Meryl Streep’s performance) to get to know the legendary lady without a prejudiced first expression (which is a nearly impenetrable task for a human being and I tried my best).

One magnificent spectacle was the entire room was fully-packed in the multiplex I attended, the first time ever after AVATAR (2009) for me. So the post-Oscar phenomenon again instantly shows its impact on moviegoers, an elderly-skewed one at least.

The film is not quite qualified to be called captivating, all the segmental paragraphs are too brief to take on the conceptual process of outlining a concrete personage which lives up to audience’s demand, however since personally I have no higher expectation, and I hold no grudge over its two Oscar wins, both well-deserving, considering Meryl’s undeniable flair, a complete submission to her relentless grit of exploring her acting facility, a third Oscar is no big fuss, and more will arrive. The make-up win is also a decent triumph, the senior phase of Ms. Thatcher is rather delicately portrayed. The supporting cast, Jim Broadbent’s ghostly resurgence sparks the most amount of laughters and a largely underrated Olivia Colman delivers the most heartfelt moment of the film while playing off Ms. Streep.

Surely, it is an actor-designed project and its predominant objective is to earn Ms. Streep a well-belated third Oscar (THE QUEEN 2006, an 8/10, is a different case here). Director Phyllida Lloyd (whose director debut is the astronomically successful MAMMA MIA! 2008 with Meryl, a 6/10), has taken all the blame for a mix bag of ambiguity of the film’s stance, lame editing and over-sentimentalism, however, and it did its job and even becomes a profitable investment, let’s give a break for women directors and over-60-year-old actresses, it is such a miracle they can haul a hard sell film to the shore with fruitful sales.