The Iron Lady

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What a missed opportunity! One of the most loved (but also reviled) politicians in British history is given the Abi Morgan treatment (which means that this should have been great story was always destined to be dull dull dull!). Just look at Abi Morgan's other (poor) writing efforts when given the job of translating a story for the screen. She massacred Sebastian Faulks's 'Birdsong' (giant yawn) and then proceeded to chuck a bucket of cold water all over Steve McQueen's 'Shame' (I never managed to stay awake until it was finished). And so now this kiss-of-death writer is currently been very well paid to crucify 'The Invisible Woman'! OK, so who cares about that one..... but still, oh how I wish this turgid writer would disappear from our screens altogether and let someone else show her how to tell a good story in an interesting and insightful way. Had someone (anyone!) been given the job of retelling the monumental story of Margaret Thatcher, then surely it couldn't have been worse than this tripe. Take a tip from me, if you ever see Abi Morgan in the writing credits of something you're interested in watching then avoid it like the plague. First she'll kill the story that she's been paid handsomely paid to write, then she'll kill you with boredom as you wonder why you wasted your precious time watching it.

Meryl Streep did great, off course, but the manuscript was the worst imaginable. I came to see a movie about Margaret Thatcher's life. Instead they produced a movie about an old lady's dealing with the loss of her husband. Shame on the producers. Shame, shame, shame. The beginning of the movie starts with Margaret Thatcher at old age. Fine, I thought. Soon they will cut to a flash back and tell the story of her life. Nope. No such luck. The middle and the end was also about Margaret Thatcher's old age. Admittedly with glimpses of flash back. But the producers were evidently much more interested in telling the story of her last days, than the story of her life. A better title would have been, "The Death of Margaret Thatcher". I look forward to someone else making a movie about Margaret Thatcher's LIFE. And by all means choose Meryl Streep again, cause she IS a great actress.

Once again Hollywood would have us view political leaders and icons not of their ideology through their distorted version of the facts. Worse still; the youthful viewers, not having lived through this period, may come away with a emphatically maligned perception of a great historical figure. Let's face it though. Honesty often doesn't sell as well as tales. Enjoy this piece of fiction for what it is but be true to yourself and read more of the woman as rendered from the facts. I'm hopeful that, as with many films covering a particular topic or subject, others producers may follow rendering a more trustworthy portrait of the Iron Lady. Recounting more to the likes of a Ken Burns film may do her justice.