As may be predicted by every moviegoer, the plot line is the recounting of the life of Britain's first Lady Prime Minister, Lady Margaret Thatcher. Margaret Roberts is a grocer's daughter who grew up in the face of constant ridicule from her peers as well as from her colleagues. But, committed to her aim of service, she goes on to Oxford and then to become one of the most powerful politicians, Conservative leader and then on to Prime Minister in a nation that had erstwhile, never had a lady leader(also becoming the longest serving Prime Minister of Britain). Garnering much hatred in her tenure due to her adamant stands on her own views while gathering respect at the same time, she introduces measures that no man ever had the guts to do so. Then she resigns and suffers from dementia in old age.
Sadly enough, the screenplay is as plain as the above. What one expects while watching a biopic, is an exploration of a person as a person. Not a person glorified as god. That is exactly what is missing. Once the movie starts, we see that the screenwriter(Abi Morgan), is obsessed with the titular character to the extent that the actions of the character, the reforms she introduced, the mistakes she made, the persons in her life and the hardships she faced are all used just as time fillers to occupy those surplus minutes when the titular character is not speaking. The screenplay is so obsessed with the titular role that nothing else is significant. Even the role of Lady Margaret's Husband Denis Thatcher (played by Jim Broadbent) is shown as nothing but a sidekick to his powerful wife and a disease to her in her old age. The screenplay is the only damaged part of the movie. Sadly, that takes a movie to the lowest level of mediocrity.
The technical department is solid. Everything from the cinematography, the editing and the art direction is adequate. A few parts of the musical score seemed inappropriate, though. And as for the makeup, the oscar win should give one an idea.
Now, for the only reason to watch the movie. Meryl Streep gives one of her most superlative performances. She is known to be an actress of near obsessive passion. Well, she has lived as Margaret Thatcher for 105 minutes of screen time. One forgets that she is Meryl Streep and that she is American. All we see is the British Premier Lady Margaret Thatcher. Everything from her diction, her actions, her walk and her expressions seem to have been ripped off from the real person. She rightly deserved her Oscar and even more rightly so, after 30 years of failed nominations. She has elevated the movie from being a forgettable fare to a textbook in acting. Kudos. The other actors are not given ample scope due to the singular fixation on the titular character. But Jim Broadbent has done justice to his role. He is the only one noticeable from the whole cast other than Meryl Streep herself.
Overall, A one woman show all the way. No Meryl Streep and the movie is no more than one among the hundreds of forgotten movies. Phyllida Lloyd (the director) must thank Meryl Streep for saving her yet again (she did it once before in Mamma Mia!).
Rating - 3 on 5 (1 on 5 without Meryl Streep)
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