Streep Deserves the Oscar
December 29th 2011 02:26
Movie trailers have a way of creating great anticipation in film-goers, in a way they can convince you that you will love a movie before you even see it and then in turn it is often difficult to convince oneself that it did not live up to expectations. After viewing Phyllida Lloyd’s ‘The Iron Lady’, this battle of opinions and expectations ensued.
Although a clever attempt to capture the human and personal side to the famed former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, much was lost in the storytelling leaving the audience wishing it had more to offer. The film begins with an elderly Thatcher, portrayed by the talented Meryl Streep, trapped in her home turned compound, filled with personal assistants and security guards. On top of this her husband Denis, beautifully played by Jim Broadbent, who has been deceased eight years, is present only as a figure of Thatcher’s imagination. The film plays on the themes of loss and dissatisfaction throughout and Denis acts almost as a guide taking the audience on a journey of this extraordinary woman’s life. For a Prime Minister of eleven years there were enough experiences and historical narratives to satisfy any audience’s appetite for drama, however, aside from a brief emotional reflection on the Falkland’s War not much detail was given to any of Thatcher’s achievements.
What will keep you seated comfortably for two hours is the electric performance of Meryl Streep. If Streep was considered a great Actress in her early works such as ‘Sophie’s Choice’ or ‘Silkwood’ she can now only be known as the greatest following ‘Doubt’, ‘Julie and Julia’ and now ‘The Iron Lady’. Her career has spanned three and half decades and has earned her 16 Academy Award nominations which will certainly become 17 in the coming months. Streep’s performance transcends acting; she embodies Thatcher’s every move both as a vibrant political powerhouse and as a withering opinionated elderly woman. Not once do you think Meryl is on the screen, only that it is indeed Thatcher. The study undertaken to perfect all idiosyncrasies, vocally, physically and behaviorally would be a difficult task on it’s own but to then transform this into a performance of such a standard is an outstanding achievement and is sure to recognised come award season.
For those that do not know much about Thatcher’s political career you may be disappointed by Lloyd’s approach to this film, however you will not walk away disappointed having witnessed possibly the greatest performance of the year.
Although a clever attempt to capture the human and personal side to the famed former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, much was lost in the storytelling leaving the audience wishing it had more to offer. The film begins with an elderly Thatcher, portrayed by the talented Meryl Streep, trapped in her home turned compound, filled with personal assistants and security guards. On top of this her husband Denis, beautifully played by Jim Broadbent, who has been deceased eight years, is present only as a figure of Thatcher’s imagination. The film plays on the themes of loss and dissatisfaction throughout and Denis acts almost as a guide taking the audience on a journey of this extraordinary woman’s life. For a Prime Minister of eleven years there were enough experiences and historical narratives to satisfy any audience’s appetite for drama, however, aside from a brief emotional reflection on the Falkland’s War not much detail was given to any of Thatcher’s achievements.
What will keep you seated comfortably for two hours is the electric performance of Meryl Streep. If Streep was considered a great Actress in her early works such as ‘Sophie’s Choice’ or ‘Silkwood’ she can now only be known as the greatest following ‘Doubt’, ‘Julie and Julia’ and now ‘The Iron Lady’. Her career has spanned three and half decades and has earned her 16 Academy Award nominations which will certainly become 17 in the coming months. Streep’s performance transcends acting; she embodies Thatcher’s every move both as a vibrant political powerhouse and as a withering opinionated elderly woman. Not once do you think Meryl is on the screen, only that it is indeed Thatcher. The study undertaken to perfect all idiosyncrasies, vocally, physically and behaviorally would be a difficult task on it’s own but to then transform this into a performance of such a standard is an outstanding achievement and is sure to recognised come award season.
For those that do not know much about Thatcher’s political career you may be disappointed by Lloyd’s approach to this film, however you will not walk away disappointed having witnessed possibly the greatest performance of the year.
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