This morning we wake up to a new image brought to us via The Daily Mail from the upcoming Margaret Thatcher biopic called The Iron Lady. The image depicts the ex-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher with her loyal husband Dennis at a Conservative Party conference in Brighton in 1980. Meryl Streep is portraying Thatcher, the title refers to her nickname she was given due to her tough and stern nature, while Jim Broadbent portrays Dennis.
I’m perhaps a little skeptical about the movie and how director Phyllida Lloyd will show Margaret Thatcher and how capable she is of dissecting the politics of the time. Will she be able to provide insight into her character and also comment on the Conservative coalition government the UK is in now. I also wonder how much relevance and popularity this will have outside the UK. Of course there is the very famous relationship she had with Ronald Reagan, which would be good for US audiences, but from the IMDB cast list there appears to be no part for that.
Of course there is the Meryl Streep performance, which does look alarmingly similar to the fierce woman. It sounds stupid, but the teeth are perfect. Obviously they will be aiming for some Oscar contention for her, despite not having a US distributor yet. Although, footage of The Iron Lady being shown at Cannes. There is also a strong British cast, on top of Streep and Broadbent which includes Olivia Coleman, Richard E Grant, Games of Thrones‘ Roger Allam, and Anthony Head among others.
I’m looking forward to seeing it because it sounds it will either be terrific or a car crash of a movie. Until I see a trailer it could go either way.