"The Iron Lady" isn't a great picture but Meryl Streep does quite a remarkable job of portraying her, proving once again that Streep is the best screen actress of our time. She captures Thatcher in four distinct stages: early in her political career when her voice was a screech, later when, after coaching, she developed a commanding vocal style, late in her period as prime minister when she bullied her cabinet and ignored contrary views and finally as an old woman whose memory and mind are giving way. In this final period, which opens and closes the film, Street adopts the shuffling gait and whistling voice of the elderly. Whether one admires or detests Mrs. Thatcher, Ms. Streep's characterizations are spot-on. In her last years, to provide drama and, I suppose. to avoid a clinical depiction of senescence, the script has Mrs. Thatcher conducting conversations with her dead husband, Denis, portrayed by Jim Broadbent. Considering that he's a ghost, Broadbent fulfills his role with skill and good humor. Alexandra Roach, who portrays the young Margaret, simply cannot hold up her end in competition with Ms. Streep as her older self.
Review of The Iron Lady
