IRON LADY, THE

Regardless of your political persuasion, Margaret Thatcher's life and leadership was a fascinating one. Her persistence against adversity was admirable. Her leadership was intrepid and her later years have been seemingly lonely. Such a life deserves to be told boldly and The Iron Lady just didn't cut it for me. I can't deny that Meryl Streep is sensational. She never ceases to amaze me and she has yet again delivered an extraordinary performance. She has nailed all of the nuances and character traits of Maggie and her Oscar was well deserved... but sadly I felt disconnected with the story. The film hopscotches along the timeline and feels more like a collage of Thatcher's life as opposed to a straight forward biopic. This method might appeal to some but it irritated me. Too much time is focused on a lonely portrait of an elderly woman suffering dementia. I found this to be a huge liberty that the filmmakers have taken. It adds a fabrication to a public life that distracts the viewer and smells like an agenda. Her youth and political life are well portrayed but the movie scatters the years all over the place. Watching movies should never be an effort but The Iron Lady ended up being just that. What a shame.

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