The Iron Lady - (December 30, 2011 – Limited; January 13, 2012 – Wide): PG-13
Distributor: The Weinstein Company
Opening Weekend Box Office (Wide): #11 with $5,419,000
Domestic Box Office Gross to-date: $7,062,000
Gross Revenue: $18,062,000
Production Budget: $13 million
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
When you consider her recent work like The Devil Wears Prada, Doubt, and Julie & Julia, Meryl Streep has been a consistently strong and high quality presence at theaters, so virtually any movie she works on is guaranteed Oscar attention. Last year, the Weinstein Company shocked moviegoers with a strong and powerfully-acted historical drama, The Kings’ Speech, which was no stranger to golden trophies; and this year, it looked like the same formula would strike gold again. Buzz was through the roof when it was announced that Meryl Streep would be portraying one of the most powerful women in history, as no one questioned the appropriateness of the best actress in Hollywood tackling the undeniably difficult role. Besides being a fan of the actress, I was also thrilled by the subject matter of The Iron Lady, as I had studied Lady Thatcher’s politics extensively during high school European History and was curious to see how they would translate on-screen. I was unable to find The Iron Lady during its limited release, and though critics loved Streep’s performance, some were critical of the film’s quality; so, I was understandably glad when the film was eventually moved to more theaters so that I could form my own opinion.
Taking place over 3 days in the life of Lady Margaret Thatcher, The Iron Lady tells the story of the Prime Minister’s life through a series of flashbacks. In present day, the elderly Thatcher (Meryl Streep) is struggling with dementia and having strong hallucinations of her recently deceased husband, Denis Thatcher (Harry Potter’s Jim Broadbent). As Margaret slowly starts packing up Denis’ possessions, she reflects on her childhood and her rise through the Conservative Party and the House of Commons. As Thatcher is eventually elected as the longest serving Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, the film examines several historical events during her tenure, such as Britain’s economic recession, the Falklands War, and her opposition to European Integration. Finding a way to deal with her grief properly, this once-powerful woman must now cope with her powerlessness relative to her impressive and historical legacy.
It should come as absolutely no surprise that easily the strongest part of The Iron Lady is Meryl Streep’s awe-inspiring performance, which is fueled by strong writing, clever direction, and cast chemistry. Whether it was using the trademarked dialect of Lady Thatcher or playing up the intensity of the dramatic cinematography, anytime Streep delivers a line, you feel the power and motivation of the titular historical figure. Streep also shows considerable range in portraying the professional Thatcher as distinct from the domestic Thatcher, which she achieves largely thanks to considerable chemistry with Jim Broadbent…the two make a very convincing elderly couple . Speaking of “elderly,” the makeup used to portray an aged Thatcher is phenomenal, and the two distinct life-phases portrayed in the film warrant a comparison with Leonardo DiCaprio’s J. Edgar; using this type of storytelling, The Iron Lady succeeded where J. Edgar failed. Now, other critics have agreed with my assessment of Streep’s performance, but where we disagree is the quality of the film aside from the phenomenal acting contained within.
The Iron Lady is perhaps one of the purest biographical films I have seen in some time, not because the facts presented are indisputable, but because there is no central hook to the film other than getting a history lesson on Margaret Thatcher. In The King’s Speech, audiences were drawn in while watching Colin Firth struggle with a stutter, but in this drama, there is no real conflict to be resolved…rather, you must just find interest in Lady Thatcher’s political career. Now, as I said earlier, I was relatively familiar with the title character given past studies, but I do believe that there are not many out there who would draw as much pleasure out of the story told, aside from history buffs. Still, you shouldn’t let this qualifier stop you from enjoying The Iron Lady, as Streep’s performance is so mesmerizing that I doubt most will be able to identify this supposed misstep. It may not warrant any Best Picture nominations, but with no blatant shortcomings, I think it is safe to assume that The Weinstein Company can add this newest historical drama to their list of successes.
From a box office standpoint, no one should have expected The Iron Lady to break the bank, given its time spent as a limited opener, but I am slightly surprised that more audiences didn’t respond to the praise surrounding Streep’s performance. Granted, Contraband, Joyful Noise, Beauty and the Beast (3D), and holiday holdovers were going to undeniably split the audience, but The Iron Lady deserved far better. Time has done its job though, as the historical drama has already covered its modest production budget; and since Streep has already nabbed a Golden Globe, I suspect audience attendance to experience a bit of a surge. Once Oscar nominations are announced in a few weeks, I will be astounded if Streep’s name is absent…hell, given the quality of her performance, I will be enraged if she doesn’t win. If you are a fan of Meryl Streep in any way, shape, or form, you cannot afford to miss The Iron Lady.
Overall Recommendation: Very High
