The Iron Lady

Just what is the point of this film? After watching it last week my housemates and I weren't quite sure what to make of a film that seems to want to make a political point, but shies so far away from it as to end up saying nothing at all.

Before I get any further with this though, it's important that I declare my political interests. I could give you a detailed resume of what I think about a whole series of issues, but it's easy if I just say I'm pretty much a Communist and be done with it. Just as long as you understand that I hail from the libertarian left of Chomsky rather than the authoritarian left of - from what I can tell these days - Nick Griffin. For example, I think private property should be entirely abolished. I really do, that isn't just a Bolshie statement designed to get a rise out of people.

Anyway - with this established you probably can guess that Margaret Thatcher is quite far down on my list of favourite politicians. For me she was the driving force behind an economic doctrine that has ruined Britain's social fabric and continues to wreck people's lives in the modern day. However I also believe that in her own terms she was one of the most successful Prime Ministers Britain has ever had. For these reasons and more, a film about Margaret Thatcher should be very interesting. Sadly, despite being a film about Britain's most dominant political force of the late 20th century, it's a huge let-down. The film makes a half-hearted attempt to present Thatcher as just a woman battling against the male-dominated hegemony of British politics, while glossing over most of the important political decisions she made.

Margaret Thatcher remains one of the most polarising figures in modern British politics, which is why if you're going to make a film about her is seems inconceivable that you would re-cast her role in politics as simply a battering ram against the old boys club of the Conservative Party. If you agree with her politics then give me a film that tells me why; if you think she's the devil then give me a film that tells me that instead. Of course the end of her political career at the hands of her peers is an intriguing tale of a very British coup; but even the film's treatment of that doesn't really give it the gravitas that the nation felt at the time. For over a decade Thatcher had totally dominated British politics - and overnight she was gone. 'The Iron Lady' seems unable to convey any of this - what is the point of making a non-political film about Margaret Thatcher?

The one reason to watch this film is Meryl Streep. She puts in a stunning performance and has Thatcher's appearance, voice and facial expressions nailed down. Absolutely deserving of the Oscar she received last year, just a shame that the makers of the film were unable to provide her with a screenplay capable of conveying about Thatcher than the fact she wore a lot of hair spray and is now old.