***
Dir. Phyllida Lloyd
After seeing this film, I say the Oscars should just go ahead and give Meryl Streep best actress for this year.
A stirring and emotionally gripping portrayal of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, director Phyllida Lloyd and screenwriter Abi Morgan illustrate the true nature of the craft in The Iron Lady. Centered around the events surrounding Thatcher's political career as well as her personal life, the film does a remarkable job of depicting this historical figure in a unique and intriguing manner. I really liked how it went back and forth between the past and present, and I thought the transitioning was very well executed.
Lloyd really utilized various cinematic techniques to present the story, including implementing actual footage at certain points. Furthermore, the score by Thomas Newman (The Shawshank Redemption) really complimented Lloyd's artistic vision for the film. Yet the highlight was definitely Streep's performance. Not that she isn't great in all her films, but the way she embodied the character in this one was absolutely fantastic. Having been a theatre student for seven years now, I could see her applying methods by acting teachers such as Constantin Stanislavski and Uta Hagen. Her physicality and diction really makes viewers believe her presentation of the character. All in all, this was a truly invigorating film, which I hope to see take something away at the Academy Awards.
