The Iron Lady

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In what has easily been the most anticipated and talked-about film of the year, The Iron Lady reunites director Phyllida Lloyd (Mamma Mia!) with screen legend Meryl Streep (Julie & Julia, Doubt); a surprising and intimate portrait of British political icon Margaret Thatcher, the first and only female Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Written by award-winning screenwriter Abi Morgan (Shame), the film offers a look at the life of the political powerhouse, her rise to leadership, and the price she paid for power. Arguably one of the 20th century’s most famous and influential women, Thatcher (Streep) came from nowhere to smash through barriers of gender and class to make her mark in a male dominated world. Unconventional in every sense, her voice, her attire, and her gender made her the unlikeliest of candidates to represent a nation. After marrying Denis Thatcher (Jim Broadbent, Another Year, The Damned United) and retraining as a barrister, Thatcher reinvented herself, and, with the help of political strategist Gordon Reece (Roger Allam, Tamara Drewe, The Queen) contrived a posh upgrade to her former accent. A determined woman, Thatcher softened her voice significantly to sound less impertinent, subsequently helping her to get elected into office – and stay elected. Playing a well-known public figure in an age when audio and video recordings exist is a formidable challenge, but Merryl Streep, ever the chameleon, nails it. While there has been some controversy about casting an American as a British Prime Minister, Streep is known for her ability to imitate foreign and domestic accents. Already considered a guarantee for a Best Actress Nomination at the 86th Annual Academy Awards®, Streep approaches the role with as much zeal, fervor and attention to detail as the real Lady Thatcher possesses. Her performance as the former Prime Minister and unlikely heroine triumphing against the odds is absolutely remarkable.

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