Meryl Streep has to be one of the most mesmerizing actresses to have ever embraced the silver screen. Her portrayal of Great Britain’s former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher will be remembered as one of the greatest performances of her career. The movie on the other hand deserves no praises.
BelleBeirut’s rating: ☼☼☼☼☼
Why did they mess this one up? Margaret Thatcher is one of the most emblematic figures of the 20th century, her decisions as prime minister altered the course of history, she was dubbed the Iron Lady by leaders of the U.S.S.R. underlining her unquestionable leadership skills, the woman even had a political ideology, “Thatcherism”, named after her. One would imagine that such a figure would get a proper biopic covering both her groundbreaking political career as well as a portion of her personal life.
Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Despite all the available material to make this a movie worthy of the impact this woman had on the world, they decided to focus on the declining condition of Margaret Thatcher’s health. What we get is a movie about an elderly woman and her struggle with dementia. Blurry flashbacks are there to recount important periods of her life, but even those scenes are impersonal and underdeveloped.
The only good thing to come out of this movie is Meryl Steep’s performance. She embodies Margaret Thatcher, delivering an inspiring performance that got her her 17th academy award nomination.
A movie to be watched only if you need an in-depth look on Alzheimer’s disease.
