Published January 18th, 2012
Beau/Derek on The Iron Lady 3 Stars
The Iron Lady is a film that attempts to synthesize and dissect biographical snippets from the life of the first woman prime minister of Great Britain, Margaret Thatcher.
The precis is basically the message that Thatcher was raised to be a formidable creator of her own destiny, under the auspices of determination and courage. The film tries to convey her conviction that feelings could shroud and dilute the crux of the question, and that they could leave you tetched and derailed when making decisions. This is the iron-clad epitome of her leadership as a person and as a successful political leader.
Meryl Streep's performance, like Thatcher's leadership, is unequivocally commanding. It is poetic with a very convincing tone of eloquence and parlance. It is superbly syncopated with the right beat of British accent, mannerisms, and above all, the pearl necklace and the helmet of hair. In other words - Brava!
As for the direction of the film, I must say that director Phyllida Lloyd's attempt is rather weak and lackluster. I am afraid that I could even hear Thatcher characterize it as "absolutely not." However, we also know that it is almost impossible and even implausible to win the nod of any discerning biopic critic.
Come to the Lamorinda Theatres and see Meryl Streep take you to her own, and only own, par on excellence!

(Derek Zemrak is a filmmaker and the president of the California Independent Film Festival Association (CAIFFA); Beau Behan is a member of the CAIFFA Board and director of the Lamorinda Theatres.)

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