By REBECCA LENZINI
Contributor, SNSPost
Founder, SeriousMovieLover.com

THE IRON LADY (2011/IN THEATERS) The general take on this film is that Meryl Streep is fabulous and the movie is not. I think this verdict is more or less spot-on. Meryl Streep is truly impressive in her performance as Margaret Thatcher, showing us the up-and-coming grocer’s daughter, the tough prime minister, and the dementia-ridden older version of herself.  It’s a sad story at heart, which has chosen to focus on the memories and hallucinations of this older woman, and utilizes a series of flashbacks to give us just a brief glimpse of the rise of Mrs. Thatcher and a taste of her tough-minded politics. Thatcher is surely one of Britain’s most remarkable individuals (whether you love or hate her politics) and movie viewers were disappointed not to learn more about her in the film. You might be reminded of this year’s J. Edgar, which also chose to focus on the person, not the history, and likewise aged its character over many years. Directed by Phyllida Lloyd of Mama Mia fame, this film is based on a screenplay by Abi Morgan (who is also credited with the screenplay for Shame). Jim Broadbent is cast as Margaret’s husband Denis, who was her partner in life and appears in the film as her companion/tormenter in his death. Audiences and critics have been largely disappointed by the movie, giving it a tepid 55% Rotten Tomatoes rating. For my part, I thought the film did a wonderful job of showing us what dementia looks like and feels like, even for very powerful and famous people. And I’ll say it again—I was blown away by Meryl Streep’s performance. She will have earned her Oscar. Catch this movie just for her performance, but don’t expect to walk away as satisfied as you were with “The Queen” or “The King’s Speech.”

Grade:  A+ for Streep; B- for the film itself

P.S.  One User Reviewer at IMDB perhaps said it best:  “…one must surely agree that Mrs. Thatcher deserves to be remembered as a major political figure, not as a half-mad old lady pottering about her flat.”

P.P.S. The role of Denis Thatcher reminded me of that lovely British film, “Truly, Madly, Deeply” which features Alan Rickman as the dead husband who lovingly haunts his wife. Check that one out when you get a minute!