HIGHLY RECOMMEND. The film is a brilliant and abstract exploration on aging and the fickle nature of society today. I was surprised at how relevant it felt to the times and how interestingly it was shot. Not your normal stuffy biopic. In the age of Wikipedia, the movie does not labor over details but rather focuses on impressions and presents ideas. Challenging and thought provoking and all those ready to dismiss this film should really look closer.… Expand

The first major Hollywood effort to document Margaret Thatcherâ

Streep deserves Best Actress but the movie deserves Worst Picture. jkv bdhjksdfjsbk bdjkdjk bjkdsbjkdbjkdvsjk bjks dvbk k bjksvbjkjsblsbjkklnslknsdjgj f fy h hv hv vhbjv bj lhh vhkvhvhkvhkvhvcj

The Iron Lady is a surprising and intimate portrait of Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep), the first and only female Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. One of the 20th century's most famous and influential women, Thatcher came from nowhere to smash through barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male dominated world.

I was so disappointed that Ms. Streep's wonderful performance was wasted in suck a train-wreck of a film. Honestly, it's as if the writers and producers got wind that such a film was being bandied about, and they figured they better sign her and make the film before someone else did. What a waste. The central conceit of the script is beyond bad - it's intentional mockery. I can't, in good conscience, score it a zero due to the wonderful lead performance. But why, WHY would they have given her this ridiculous script?… Expand

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This was a surreal portrayal of the first lady prime minister and one of the longest serving ones, basically portraying her as a dementia patient, and the only thing missing was the fuzzy slippers and ratty bathrobe. My largest complaint is that rather than telling the story of this extraordinary woman's history, the movie must have spent about 30 minutes of time just showing her mucking along in an elderly dazed state. I saw this movie with a Feminist friend, almost totally apolitical, and she could not follow the story at all, because the flashbacks weren't even purely chronological and didn't explain any of the political backdrop. Other Feminist friends have panned this movie as showing that you can be the strongest woman in the world, but only at the price of no one ever loving you or standing by you at the end. Meryl Streep's performance added very little since most of the time she was representing a dementia patient rather than a former prime minister. The only part of the movie that added any unexpected value was that it sort of explored a bit of the relationship with her former husband, but it was just done so bizarrely, as to be beyond artistic.… Expand

Ah! Don't expect much from this movie! Meryl Streep's performance as Thatcher is distracted by movie quality. But don't worry, it's not just Streep's performance, it's the story about Thatcher and her controversial and strong leadership. But Thatcher deserves better biopic.

A major disappointment. I'm not a fan of her (I'll be at that party in Scotland when she checks out) but I was looking forward to a comprehensive biopic of one of the most interesting and controversial leaders of the 20th century.
Instead I sat through a film that mostly dealt with the effects of dementia. The small snippets of historical events are skipped over like trivia and we keep being returned to scenes of Mrs T having imaginary conversations with her dead husband.
With all the biographies that came out after her career ended, I would have thought there would be a mountain of material available to create a monumental epic.
Streep's performance and the subject matter deserved a better film. This could have been a classic.… Expand

Just sucks... What? I need 150 characters? I felt that writing "Just Sucks" would be more than enough but obviously I must say more. It REALLY does just sucks.

Meryl Streep gives a performance worth a 9, but the story in which it is set is dissatisfying. It introduces the entirely speculative and improbable idea that Thatcher is 'haunted' by Denis. It reminded me of Edith Evans' The Whisperers. Instead of trying to focus on one or two aspects of her leadership, or her personal history, it tries to do them all, at speed, using too much newsreel, and accompanied by ploddingly unoriginal music.

As someone who grew up in Thatcher's Britain, I was depressed by reliving a political decade I'd rather forget!… Expand

Too much time spent on Margaret Thatcher's present year. What a bore! It's not a bad idea to start her at present time and use that to reflect the story in her prime years, but the frequent jumping back to the present time was unnecessary. The too frequent talk between her and her deceased husband became too gimmicky. Meryl Streep was superb as usual but she was wasted in this dull film.

This is not a traditional biopic but I enjoyed the artistic liberties. I was surprised the amount of time spent in current day Thatcher. My only complaint is not enough Prime Minister day scenes, but still effective and Streep is beyond amazing. She literally plays two different roles.

Highlight of movie is Meryl Streep's personification of Maggie Thatcher. Brilliant in every way-voice ,appearance,mannerisms....oscar award winner Lowlight is too much focus on Thatchers declining mental state.
The Iron Lady achieved so much and the movie skims over this...what a shame. Not only is this aspect overdone but minimises her life. Maggie Thatcher deserved more for a Biopic!!!

The Iron Lady is a biographical movie, but that does not make it less interesting. The film shows the rise and fall of Margaret Thatcher, the first female Prime Minister of England. This woman grew up with a political vocation, but she lives in a menâ

Do not go and see this pitifully disappointing film. Margaret Thatcher's eleven year political career is only touched upon, with the main focus of the film being an insensitive and degrading portrait of Thatcher as an older woman suffering from Alzheimer's. The constant hallucinations of her husband are irritating and pointless, and the film as a whole is boring and not remotely grounded in truth. Thatcher's very controversial and turbulent time as Prime Minister, which will be remembered by many for her ruthlessness and hunger for power, is reduced to a few unmoving, badly executed scenes. A waste of money and time, the film is not in any way salvaged by Streep's performance and should, ultimately, never have been made.… Expand

Yes i knew how this movie will turn out, the only think worth watching about this movie was Meryl Streep and Meryl Streep only. She really played her part with utmost honesty and dedication and it shows tremendously on screen however the movie turned out pretty bland with them trying to over stuff Thatcher's life with silly formulaic scenes and situations that kills the entire mood of the movie.

Focussed on all the wrong things. Whether you admire or loath her, I would rather have watched a film that centered on what she thought and did rather than sheer, unapologetic speculation of her current illness which, in my opinion, are *not* the most interesting aspects of her life. Half of the film depicts hallucinations that never possibly happened - I mean, who knows....

This film is utterly unsatisfying.
Not even slightly entertaining, some of the performances were utterly laughable, and the script was horrifyingly bad.

The whole story was not bad but it didn't really hit the spot. I don't know maybe it's just me. The acting was really good but the ending was a bit anti-climatic. I was expecting more to happen at the end of the movie. In fact, it wasn't just me. The audience the in cinema didn't move until 2 minutes after the credits rolled. I guess, we all expected more.

A great performance by Streep who does her chameleon brilliance. The story however makes a fundamental error which sinks it. The decision to spend half the time in Thatcher's dotage (so Meryl can show off her prosthetics??) instead of giving us a decent biopic makes the movie dull and nothing but a set piece for some of her speeches and harangues. They should have called this "The Lead Lady."

Sorry, Italian - English mechanic.

Certainly not a biopic. Because it is not as visually presented to the viewer, not all, objective, historical. Among other things, several important events have just mentioned. The narrative revolves around a story of some of the most influential women a few decades ago. E ', the story, told from the point of view of the leader.Given that a British citizen I would never dream, never to vote for the Conservatives The Tories / or the Baroness of Kesteven, Lincolnshire Margaret Hilda Roberts Thatcher born /, there is still a fact of course, irrefutable. Miss Roberts, has always shown, as a teenager, that the words written for a year after his speech, we are in October 1980 Conference of the Conservative Party / the famous playwright Sir Ronald Graeme Millar, speechwriter / "The Lady's ... not for turning ", are the culmination of a life and a political idea, never hidden from the voters and party colleagues. An intellectual honesty, hard to find in the politicians of today, especially Italian ones, always ready to compromise penny, and never being always ready appearance. Like it or not, the nickname affibbiatole by a Soviet journalist, "the Iron Lady," we are in the Cold War years, will accompany you for life. And, I understand that Thatcher, Prime Minister, he never scorned, despised, abhorred. How many people in Britain still loves? I do not know, probably half prays for her, the other half is hoping for a higher ascent from. He has been criticized so much for the choice made when he decided to kick off the war immediately against Argentina 1982 Falklands War / conflict that has cost the parties involved in human lives, much more than 1000 deaths and nearly 2000 injured . Question - How has it made Anthony Charles Lynton Blair, or Tony Blair Labor / in Iraq?

Threesome - The Triad

Phyllida Lloyd director / - Abi Morgan script / - Meryl Streep Margaret Thatcher /
This triad is a proven team work and all women. Random seed? I would not say and I'm going to justify what is expressed by taking a look at the recent past.Phyllida Lloyd big theater experience / curriculum with everything from reading and Meryl Streep have worked together in Mamma Mia! Abi Morgan, fine physically, but fluid in thought is the child of art created for the theater, the theater, the theater. Still a teenager, his parents decided to separate. So begins, despite himself, to wave to the nation. Different schools, different friends, but always with a goal, to become an actress or a writer for the theater. We can. Nuffield Theatre Southampton, Manchester Royal Exchange Studio Theatre, Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh / and so on. But because I have dwelt a little on this character?Because Abi Morgan is a person pays attention to detail. And the movie is full, chock, chock full of details and of all types. It took months to outline the kind of writing the next idea, nothing has been left to chance. The choice of Streep was not, in fact, a case. Phyllida Lloyd and Abi Morgan during job interviews, it took very little time to find the actress in Streep suitable for the purpose, to the film.Only Streep, can give life to the Leader, until then "imprisoned" in pages full of the best graphic abstraction. And Streep does not disappoint, in fact, won an Academy Award. Even the first statuette she added two more, Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland will win an Oscar for makeup.

Council to see the film because it is "humane" policy in the cold misty memories of the Prime Minister later in life and ill, becomes a tale pleasing to watch and listen. It 'should be clear that the careful observer, and as always if you like it, to study issues that life has dealt so politically engaged. I cite only some of the initiatives taken by the longest running tenant of No. 10 Downing Street away free milk at school, stay in or not in the European community, the policy of austerity, trade union reform, tax reform, the rehabilitation project for distressed public companies, reform of trade unions, to strike deal over the long history of workers, agreements with Ronald Reagan, the Falklands War, the Poll Tax, and so on /.

Lord Charles Powell - Political Adviser M. Thatcher said of her - "The T. had phenomenal energy policy, did not sleep much, maybe 3 hours at night, does not care about holidays, weekends are not interested, he worked for seven 7 days and 20 hours per day. It was very hard, but it was a guy who always wanted to understand everything, wanted to be mistress of all the problems of geverno. "

Anything else to add? I think not.… Expand

Meryl Streep delivers an absolutely stunning performance as the Iron Lady, which by all rights deserves an Oscar. She's simply extraordinary playing Britain's prime minister in power and in old age. It's one of the most amazing feats of acting I've seen in years. As to the film itself, at times it's riveting, encapsulating a very volatile time that has lessons for us now. I despised her during her iron-fisted reign and wasn't sure I even wanted to watch this BUT I was hooked. AND there are laborious passages of her lost in dementia in her waning years - far too many of them - which expose the rigidity of her persona, her lack of flexibility and her unwillingness to compromise that led to her downfall. Interesting that the same fate befell Reagan.
I can see how the right wingers would hate it. Seeing their beloved leader lose the plot. Here we have the rise and fall of power and in its small way its epic. And as for Meryl, no one else comes close.… Expand

Not what I was expecting. I went into this movies thinking I was going to watch a biopic of Margret Thacher during her prime, the 1980's. But a little over then half the movies takes place during 2008, exploring the current mental state of the ex-PM. And I keep thinking to myself, "this isn't what I want to see". I wanted to see Prime Minister Thacher, not widowed Thacher. And the scenes that did show her as PM were like SparkNotes version of what happened. For some one who spent 11 years in politics and who was a fairly controversial PM, you really don't get an idea of what she was like back then, her policies, or even her accomplishments. Instead you learn about how she deals with the death of her husband, which I doubt was accurate. I fell like the people involved with the movie wanted to make a movies that everyone would like, which meant taking out most of the actual politics and replacing it with a banal story. All that being said Meryl Streep gave a phenomenal performance, at some points actually I forgot that it was Streep acting thinking it was just someone who looked and sounded exactly like Thacher herself. The rest of the cast also does a great job. But all the acting doesn't take away of how boring this movies was. It lacked story depth, and was just wasted potential. I would have really preferred if they had just scrapped the 2008 part of the movie and just focused on the person who played such an important role in British politics (coming from someone who completely disagrees with Thacher political views). 5.5/10… Expand

Overall, I believe that this was a well deserved Oscar win for Meryl Streep. Despite the film's rather slow pace, her powerful performance as Margaret Thatcher is the main highlight of the film and makes up for the slow pace overall. I'm also rather glad the film wasn't super long, but it was too short to really go into detail about her political career. It doesn't go into her background life as much as I had hoped as well. Even so, Streep delivers brilliantly overall in this interesting yet forgettable look at her life and how she changed the face of England as the first female prime minister.… Expand

As a child of the 70s and 80s, I knew of Margaret Thatcher peripherally. My memories of the importance of Margaret Thatcher to the British people from 1979-1990 is peppered with memories of the latest video on MTV, how cool the DeLorean was in Back to the Future and the latest comic books coming out that week. I knew her relationship to Reagan was important. I kind of knew that she shared many of the socio-political beliefs as Reagan, which made them a strong pair. I knew of her importance as the first British Prime Minister. However, I wasn't aware of how hated she was in Britain for a time. I knew nothing of her personal life, obviously. And had I not been such an avid history and periodical reader since high school, I wouldn't know much more. However, it's hard not to be entranced by Meryl Streep's stunning performance of such a distinct person in history. Not surprisingly, she BECOMES Margaret Thatcher and carries an otherwise lukewarm film. To be objective and separate the "distraction" that is Meryl's perfect portrayal was very difficult, but in what seems like a random display of memories and moments in her life as the viewer is taken through her deeper descent into dementia, an optimistic person would say that the film was designed to seem random so as to match the point of view of the protagonist. However, my honest belief is that the film's story really has no point. It's just meant to have a flawless actor bring to life public and private moments of an important historical figure. It represents real life, so I guess it isn't supposed to hold any more drama than what actually occurred, but if that was the case, the drama around her envisioning her long-deceased husband, Dennis, seems to contradict the focus of the movie. The Iron Lady is appealing if only for the performance by Meryl Streep and the walk down memory lane.… Expand

The film was better than expected. Judging by the reviews I was expecting something average but this was actually a good film. Nonetheless, it is Meryl Streep's performance the one reason you should see this movie: it was memorable. Her Thatcher is not only accurate but real, not a caricature. She should definitely win the Oscar for Best Actress. As for the film itself, I think the main problem was the script, which felt a bit fuzzy. However, I did enjoy it, especially the second half.… Expand

I actually sat through this movie several times mainly because I was so taken aback by how much I loathed it the first time that I watched it again to try and understand why. On the second viewing, I actually liked it better and this is mainly due to the performances of the younger Margaret and Denis. I directly blame the director and screenwriter for this train wreck of a movie.

Meryl Streep is possibly the best actress of our generation. In this biographical film, she portrays Thatcher brilliantly: her posture, her voice, her facial expressions and movements. She made the Iron Lady... likeable :-)

For some, Mrs Thatcher is portrayed far too sympathetically and the film puts her tenure as Prime Minister in a much better light than is might deserve. I didn

Meryl Streep plays former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, but this isn't a typical biopic. It follows her career from outspoken Oxford student to her resignation as PM, but spends too much time flashing back from her waning years. Although this device has been used many times before (most recently in "J. Edgar"), there's usually a clear timeline and a fleshed-out story. In this case, she's sometimes pitiful and haunted by the past. Streep turns in a complex, compelling performance and the rest of the cast is strong. It's just the screenplay that keeps the film from becoming an stirring story.… Expand

Lovely film, does not escape its parts ridiculous but that does not diminish the merit of being a movie with an uplifting message that tells you to fight for your goals and dreams without anything or anyone intimidate you on your way. Is to say that Meryl Streep gives an incredible performance, deserving of every award possible. We must also praise the great work of makeup that is a fundamental part of the movie is good.… Expand

The film itself is not really a masterpiece, but only for the very good interpretation of Mrs.Thatcher I give a good rating to this movie, Merryl Streep is simply fantastic

The Iron Lady is an entertaining and well made bio-pic but isn't reveletory. Meyrl Streep is excellent, as is the supporting cast. Kudos as well for not judging Thatcher but objectively showing both her good and bad sides.

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The Iron Lady is an average film which relies only on the glorious performance from Meryl Streep. Due to its dull script and somewhat little emotionally appealing the film can not sustain alone and needs other means to get poignant. The dramatic appeal is that the film has taken more into account than the historical context of Thatcher

Fascinating slice of life portrayal of Margret Thatcher, brilliantly portrayed by Meryl Streep. Touches on a variety of themes from self-determination to aging, and the struggle for gender equality set in the 70s and 80s. For those of us old enough to remember? Compelling. Touching. Sad. Fascinating... And fleetingly portrayed, but unless you turn this into Masterpiece Classics? You have to draw the line somewhere ...and no one will be happy with where. :-). For Meryl? Another Oscar I think!… Expand

The only thing that redeems this film is Meryl Streep's performance. Even after awhile James Broadbent whom I think is a great actor becomes very annoying. It truly is a great performance by Streep but that's about all this film has to offer. The glimpses into Thatcher as a politican are empty and cold. There is a great deal of disconnection throughout the entire film. The screenplay is weak at best.… Expand

Such a rich and powerful subject -- such a little lens to show her! Some say it is "realistic," bit it isn't. And what frustrates are the embarrassment of topical themes evident but lost amidst the turgid alzheimers: a loving, coach-worthy husband, a women who prefers men's company to women's, a developing individualist of an Aristotelian mien, a pro-market visionary caught up in declining socialist times (SEE Terry Gilliam's 'Brazil' for a glimpse of the UK's complete dysfunction in the 1980s). There was so much vile hatred and invective aimed at MT, the film barely scratches it. Instead, we a given a crabbed down fall legacy, stolen from Shakespeare: a dead life-mate, resulting detachment from her other men, even estranged from her only son, Mark. Egads! She's like King Lear! Leftists don't get that democracies are not personal possessions like kingdoms, and no matter how dynastic, they do not lend themselves to such a psychological reductio. Furthermore, we have the biographical testimony of MT's daughter Carol, that the family grew up happy. Imagine that! Successful and happy. This subject deserves more humility, less stupidity, to be believable. Much less "realistic."… Expand

Although the overall movie has its minor flaws (primarily flow/editing issues, similar to the far worse problem with J. Edgar) there is no denying that Streep offers a magnificent and towering performance as Thatcher. Although the film also caught me off guard by being one of the most touching and surprisingly cinematic love stories of the year, the reason to see the film is to see the amazing actress offering one of her very best works in a long and incredible career. No other acting performance comes close to this one for the year, and I include Viola Davis' great job in The Help, when I say this. Streep's performance = A+, whereas the overall movie (The Iron Lady) = B+… Expand

Although Meryl Streep's performance is quite strong the film will alienate half of it's viewers because it plays more like a campaign video for the right wing then a bio pic. Although I am conservative myself I cannot just like a film because I agree with it's philosophies.

If Meryl doesn't win the Oscar for this performance you will hear me screaming all the way from Clermont, Florida to Mulica Hill, New Jersey. Viola Davis and Michelle Williams shouldn't even be allowed to attend the ceremony and you can put weirdo Tilda Swinton on ice too.

Unfortunately, Ms. Steep's incredible performance is marred by a script that is flat out awful with some shoddy direction by the same woman who ruined Mama Mia.

In this film, the life of Margaret Thatcher is told through flash backs from the elderly former Prime Minister's dementia altered mind. We find her holding numerous conversations with her deceased husband as she finally gets around to disposing of his clothes and other belongings. This plot device doesn't work despite the fact that the lead actress is turning in the finest performances of her career.

The supporting cast is fine particularly Alexandra Roach who plays the young Margaret Thatcher from a teenager up until about age 30. Jim Broadbent also does a great job in recreating Denis Thatcher, the Prime Minister's husband. The makers of this film should have been satisfied with a traditional biographical film of a historical figure. Instead we get a surreal mishmash that is enjoyable only because of an Oscar winning performance.… Expand

Just saw the movie and really liked it. The negative critics seem to think it's a poor summary of Thatcher's life, that it does her a disservice. Perhaps, but it wasn't meant to be a documentary. Instead it shows a remarkable woman's courageous rise, her inevitable fall from power, and her twilight years. Its a very realistic portrait of the state we all reach eventually. Perhaps I'm swayed by having an aging mother whose life was hard-fought. But I thought it was touching and brilliant. And by God if Streep doesn't get the Oscar I'll eat my hat.… Expand

Phyllida Lloyd

Had this film excluded Meryl, or used anyone but her, it would have failed miserably. I canâ

The problem with this movie is that it is just too depressing. And although several critics have already said this, it is worth repeating--Meryl Streep did a brilliant job in a movie that was poorly conceived and simply rude. British Prime Minister David Cameron was right to be critical, if not offended, by the film. When someone spends their entire life in public service, sacrificing any hope of a private life, the least one can do is leave them in peace and allow them some dignity when they're old and frail. In reference to Cameron's remarks, Streep actually had the nerve to talk back to a head of state. She stated, "If I'd made a film about Margaret Thatcher and she had something wrong with her lungs no one would have raised a hue and cry. But it's because it is mental frailty she is afflicted with that is what terrifies us most." Streep also commented that it must make Thatcher feel terrible that Cameron said the filmmakers should have waited until after Thatcher was gone. It would seem Streep was under pressure to defend the movie, because Streep's reasoning amounts to a hopelessly inane argument. Is it more comforting to Thatcher to see herself depicted as a lonely, lost soul who is wandering around having hallucinations and unable to be productive or capable in any way, shape, or form? This did not give us any insight to the nature of dementia, nor did it show the Iron Lady fighting back and surviving her illness in spite of the fact that she's been afflicted since the year 2000. The film seemed to be bent on depicting Thatcher in a pathetic state, defeated, lost, and a mere shadow of her former self. The film must be excruciatingly humiliating for Thatcher and her family. One would almost suspect that the screenplay was written by Thatcher's political foes come back to seek revenge. Clearly the theme was â… Expand

This is the first major motion picture chronicling the life of Britain's first female Prime Minister Margret Thatcher. Sadly, the end result is not good. The direction is rather poor and multiple scenes are jumbled up quite regularly. A clearer narrative would have suited this flick much more. However, not all is bad as Meryl Streep absolutely gives the performance of a lifetime, certainly one of the better performances over her long, lustrous career. Her alone is really the only thing that can redeem this otherwise messy movie.… Expand

Meryl Streep gives one of the finest performances of her career, one that will go down as one of the best renditions brought to cinema, unfortunately the film that comes along with her is simply a below par effort of idolising a very controversial figure of British politics.
The premise of the story was well thought out, we start with a very old Lady Thatcher struggling with her dementia, unable to realise that her husband, Dennis (Jim Broadbent) who she is talking to, is actually dead, showing the severity of her memory loss. She begins reminiscing about her time as a young up and coming politician, showing a biased view of her rise to power, she is portrayed as being one of the only women within Parliament at this time which is in fact untrue, as there were at least 20 others.
We see the eventual woman we remember today, the Prime Minister of Britain, coining the infamous 'Iron Lady' nickname.
However, the film takes a very dramatic stance on emphasising Thatcher's rise to power, we are always made to feel sorry for someone who was by all means a warmonger, this isn't by any means sour grapes as we don't know the woman behind the power, but her defining policies outlined in this film are created to almost make us feel guilty for her, remorse is something this film attempts to receive too often.
It simply isn't gritty and true to life, the moments of Thatchers defiance are almost pantomime-like, bringing little seriousness to the issues that she is dealing with, and over-compensating with an epic score that feels very out of place.
Meryl Streep, however, is completely majestic as Thatcher, perfecting her high-pitched yet civilised accent down to a tee, and capitalising on her moments of humiliating her Cabinet staff, it can be said that Thatchers deteriorating moments and failure to distinguish between past and present are brought emotionally to life by Streep, who is as simply hit the unique persona of the former PM head on. It is just unfortunate that her performance completely shadows this very mediocre and timid attempt at painting the life of one of the most controversial political figures of the modern era.
Without Streep, this film simply would have been nothing, but her commanding performance deserves enough recognition and praise to watch this, but unfortunately this is an idolising film that only touches on a feministic rise against the odds, rather than a true picture of the error and strain of this much publicised politician.… Expand

A Lifetime movie with an outstanding performance that it doesn't altogether deserve. Meryl Streep and the young actress who play Margaret Thatcher are excellent. Streep does Lady Thatcher justice. The movie creates a superhero origin story, matched with an equally interesting final act where Thatcher struggles with a combination of Alzheimers and a Romantic Heart. The movie clearly thinks that Thatcher is of high integrity, whose policies were of great benefit to 1980s England, and reveres her humility and dignity in old age. It's a very modest production, so it doesn't have the scope the content deserves. But the treat is that there are numerous long scenes where the camera is still, and Streep shows what a superstar actress she can be.… Expand

ZZZZZZZZ zzzzzzzz zzzz...good for a sunday nap...a lot of peeps in my theatre walked out ...ZzzzzZzzzZZzzzzzZzzZzzzzzzzZzzzZzzzz zzzzzzzzz ZZZzzzZzzZzzzz

Meryl Streep is brilliant in this movie. She really disappears into the role and does a wonderful job of reminding us on the left that Margaret Thatcher was only human, not some satanic woman, hell bent on destroying middle and lower class families. But even Meryl Streep cannot save a movie that has no coherent plot or direction. The movie is sporadically laced with the present day Thatcher in the grips of dementia, and the story of Thatcher's rise and fall in British politics. The movie spends too much time on the former, and not enough time on the more interesting latter. Lack of any central plot makes the movie move very slow and brought me to the point of boredom.… Expand

The Madwoman of No.10 A character portrait more than a biopic, The Iron Lady dramatises Margaret Thatcher's middle aged madness through the perspective of her demented madness of old age. Many have asked if this film should have been made while she is alive - but the key source of insight is Carol Thatcher's account of her mother's dementia - so if her daughter can comment in public, so may the film makers. Meryl Streep's portrayal is uncanny, and especially effective in old age - the Thatcher we don't know. She and Dennis, the wonderful Jim Broadbent, are the only fleshed out characters in the piece. The rest are props to tell the story. And what a story it is - a story of grandiose self importance that always carried more than a shred of madness. The women involved - Streep, Lloyd (director) and Morgan (writer) create a classic 'women's picture' - one woman's struggle - to live up to the ideals instilled on young Margaret Roberts by her doting dad. Of course, everyone pales into insignificance for young Margaret by comparison (except the supportive Dennis). All men are bastards. In this world, there are no other women, except maids. Thatcher can say and do what she pleases, because she is so much smarter and better than anyone else. There is no collaboration with this psychotic woman, there is only her inevitable descent into madness as the Poll Tax is proposed, the final straw in her destruction of consensus Britain. Like Reagan, she is co-creator of the 2007 financial collapse - due to greed, the de-regulation of the financial markets, and the self -righteousness of the frankly bonkers economics of it all. So don't despair that the history is not quite accurate, or it doesn't really 'do justice' to her 'reign'. That's not the point. While the film tries hard to get the audience on 'her side' by implying her greatness and difference in almost every scene, all it does is demonstrate that Thatcher was always a madwoman on a mission - and now, we can say 'Mission Accomplished.' Right up there with The Black Swan - last year's portrait of a madwoman - Streep will walk down the red carpet with her Oscar in a few months.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Too much retrospectives and old woman's blattering with her dead husband. Save for Meryl Streep's brilliant performance, The Iron Lady is, after J. Edgar, yet another example of a biographical movie gone wrong. But if in the case of Eastwood's film the gloomy atmosphere and the retrospectives were more understandable, in this case we witness pieces of political biography seamed together by some awkward scenes of the elder Mrs. Thatcher...… Expand

When I saw the trailers on TV, I was excited to see that one of my local theatres was planning on showing it a few weeks earlier than the world wide release. However, after watching the film I was somewhat mixed. I will admit that politically identify myself as someone who leans right, but I just think the movie could've gone in another direction. NPR's review brings up a very good point in regards to how the movie chose to cover Margaret Thatcher life. It wasn't very respectful, but fair enough I suppose...

At least my wife enjoyed the movie. I would've rated this lower if it wasn't for Meryl Streep's brilliant acting.… Collapse

Stirring portrayal of the controversial former Prime Minister of England. Excellent acting by the whole cast, especially Meryl Streep and Alexandra Roach. This movie does not flinch from showing every phase of Thatcher's life. From her early years living through World War II, to her difficult attempts to enter politics; to her love for her husband and then the main career years we all know, you get much more than in your average biographical film. Wonder of wonders, they allow the character to grow older and show all of her issues with declining health. Every one of the ups and downs of her terms in office is shown with brutal clarity. We see everything from the wild early years of success, as the stock market went up to crazy heights, and then the thunder as it all came crashing down. Riots, the poll tax, none of it is swept under the rug. They also show her personal character- from stubbornness to a hidden and surprising grace and hope. Although I disagreed with a number of her political decisions, in this movie I was shown that there was more to her than meets the eye. A lot more. One of the most powerful movies I've seen in a long time.… Expand

What a fantastic movie! You can truly feel, what's inside Mrs Thatcher! Even if you don't like her political decisions, you cannot do not to feel sad for her. There are a bit few historical scenes, but they are strong enough to forget about this, and with the touching "old lady" scenes, it's really one of the greatest movies of the year, even if 2011 is not as strong as 2010 in movies.

An impeccable mimicry equals the paramount achievement of acting? I often doubt this proposition, for this film, my almost-zero background information allows me to perceive Margaret Thatcher as a total outsider and I would be conveyed by the film (chiefly Meryl Streep's performance) to get to know the legendary lady without a prejudiced first expression (which is a nearly impenetrable task for a human being and I tried my best).

One magnificent spectacle was the entire room was fully-packed in the multiplex I attended, the first time ever after AVATAR (2009) for me. So the post-Oscar phenomenon again instantly shows its impact on moviegoers, an elderly-skewed one at least. The film is not quite qualified to be called captivating, all the segmental paragraphs are too brief to take on the conceptual process of outlining a concrete personage which lives up to audienceâ… Expand

There are 2 films in the Iron Lady, and perhaps they would have worked better as separate stories in their own rights. As I understand it from history lessons and the stories of my parents' generation, Thatcher's political career had more than enough going on to make a long, interesting story even if it had been separated from the other half of this film (AKA "The Notebook 2012"), and the parts of The Iron Lady which focus on her years in office are certainly more interesting than the scenes set in the present. The way the flashbacks are executed makes the real story feel disjointed and haphazard, further cementing my belief that this film would have greatly benefited from a script based purely on the political career of a woman whose actions still shape British politics today. The acting was stellar, the one part of the film which truly shone - particularly Streep's contrasting portrayals of Prime Minister Thatcher and senile old Margaret. I'd certainly recommend the political half of this film, but unfortunately that's only half the story The Iron Lady tries to tell, and the finished product suffers because of that.… Expand

Great, great, superb performance by Meryl Streep...
But as Roger Ebert said, her talent is squandered here... This movie is ruined by other circumstances...
Still I enjoyed it though...

I don't think that The Iron Lady is a great movie, is very regular and have some mistakes, but the better thing in this movie is the performance of Meryl Streep, is amazing, she is Margaret Tacher. Now the problems. When some wanna do a biopic, need pass for the most important events, and yes can touch others, but in this movie, the director do that the events are boring, and planes, graceless. The movie is regular, but the only thing sustain that achieves this is the performance of Meryl Streep, amazing, and perfect.… Expand

The Iron Lady brings some important ideas to the national debate today but the movie didn't focus on the important things about the woman. I would rather have watched a film that centered on what she thought and did rather than her current illness.

Meryl is great, not that anybody would expect anything else. The movie was pretty bland no matter what you feel about her politics. It seemed like a documentary being reenacted. I wasn't crazy about the constant back and forth too. It still delivered though.

A divine performance from Meryl Streep keeps this pictures head above water. It' solid but in need of some major reconstructing. The two supporting players; Jim Broadbent and Olivia Colman, are equally superb and provide the comedy that is much needed.

The only reason to watch the "The Iron Lady" is for Meryl Streep' incredible performance She single handedly elevates the material and makes this film go from a sub-par film to a pleasant one.

Many viewers were expecting, and looking for, a depiction of Thatcher's rise and fall, so there was disappointment to be had if that's what you were looking for; Thatcher's rise and fall is merely the backdrop of the core story, which I see as a close up of an Alzheimer patient who happened to be an important person in history.


Whether you liked Thatcher or not, whether you thought her career was shown in a favourable light or not, is not, in my opinion, what makes this movie a very good movie; it's how Alzheimer changes a person, be it one who had great (good or bad) influence in our world. If you missed the profound insight in the lead character's affliction, you simply missed one of the best performances of the year.


After watching the movie, I agreed with the Oscar choice. I like character development pieces and this is one I won't soon forget. Meryl Streep thanked her make-up people and that was called for; good for her. Too much is made of many other aspects of this movie. If you give some thought to the simple premise I put forth, I trust you may change your opinion of this movie. If you haven't seen yet, then I believe the above review may help you appreciate it.… Expand

The Iron Lady is an uninteresting film about an interesting figure. Meryl Streep is great, no surprise there. What is a surprise is how forgettable both this film (and performance) are.