Last night we went to see Iron Lady with Gary's brother and sister and their spouses who live in Scottsdale. Just like the general population, the movie got mixed reviews from our group. I thought it was very good. My personal conclusion, after our discussion, is: If you want to see a documentary on the life and times of Margaret Thatcher, this is not your movie. If you would like to see a movie that explores aloneness, both in the life of a very public person and at the end of life after the loss of a spouse, a view into the life of an aging and increasingly, but not always, demented person who mostly knows what is happening to her, and see a really superb actress (Meryl Streep) who literally becomes Margaret Thatcher, then this is a good movie.
I thought most of the acting was excellent and exactly what was needed. And I really liked the constant juxtaposition and interplay of the early days, the years in power and the later years of this extraordinary woman. Streep's portrayal of, especially, the old Margaret was heartbreaking and very reminiscent of my own aging mother and mother-in-law. And the movie does sweep through some key events of her years as Leader of the Opposition and as Prime Minister in the 70's and 80's. A movie like this can't possibly cover all the events and issues of the day. It was very selective in its focus, but, in my view, presents enough to make one want to go back and look again at the events that played out in Great Britain in those years.
I give it two thumbs up!
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