BS: Iron lady

Subject: BS: Iron lady
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 01 Dec 12 - 12:29 AM

The Iron Lady" should be called "Rusty Batty Bitch."

We just rented the film from Red Box. Unless you a a Streep fan, It was the worst possible film.

It portrayed her as stubborn and weak minded except where it came to economic policies, which are portrayed as forward thinking and perfectly correct. That is not how I remember that period.

The whole plot of film revolves around whether or not she will throw out her dead husband's shoes.

The film is a Tea Party wet dream and a British patriot's nightmare. IMHO.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 01 Dec 12 - 12:48 AM

It sounds great.
=(:-( D)

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Henry Krinkle
Date: 01 Dec 12 - 01:46 AM

I always hated Meryl Streep. Jessica Lange too.
Those kind of actresses get on my nerves.
I wouldn't give ya a nickel for their movies.
=(:-( P)

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: GUEST,Eliza
Date: 01 Dec 12 - 11:20 AM

It also apparently shows her wearing a hat in Parliament, which she never, ever did. I too dislike Meryl, but I can't explain why. There's no doubt she's a very good actress, but she gets on my nerves too, Henry.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: GUEST,CS
Date: 01 Dec 12 - 12:27 PM

Streep is more stiff and wooden than Worzel Gummage's Aunt Sally, without the cakes. Only one good film I can think of which she did early on in her career, Silkwood. Apart from that she leaves me utterly untouched by her immobile face and line reciting.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: GUEST,achmelvich
Date: 01 Dec 12 - 01:20 PM

i don't really have an opinion on meryl streep - as an actor she strikes me as a bit cold. but when she was in the papers and on posters here for the thatcher film i couldn't bear to look at her photo. my hatred of thatcher is deep and enduring and i'm afraid i will always link ms with her now. not keen on michael sheen either after his tony bliar film (though he was very good as cloughie)

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 01 Dec 12 - 01:41 PM

Beats me why so many people seem to spend their hard-earned dosh on watching films that they know they are going to hate. Some sort of SM is it? If so, there are better sites on google for that. Or is it with some intention of posting on Mudcat how much you hated it to augment your Thatcher-hating credentials to show what a thoroughly jolly good ole lefty egg you are? If so, don't bother, we've had it all up to here long since. If not, them for heavens sake, why·o·why!

Much exercised ---

not to say puzzled ---

and perplexed ···

☺〠☺~M~☺〠☺

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 01 Dec 12 - 03:29 PM

Don't be such a curmudgeonly old wazzock, Michael. I never watch films and I wouldn't know Meryl Streep from a bull's foot if I passed her in the street, but I'm enjoying the bloody thread don't you see!

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 01 Dec 12 - 03:46 PM

Enjoy, enjoy, Steve. Who would ever grudge you? But is not my post, querying the motivations of those who go to see a film about Mrs Thatcher surely for the sold purpose of denouncing it & her, a contributor to your enjoyment of it? Or is that just too metafictional & v-effect or whatever?

What's a wazzock, BTW?

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 01 Dec 12 - 03:49 PM

... and please do not respond that it as old curmudgeon like me, or I shall know you have rally & truly lost the plot!

"sole purpose" btw, sodit.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Janie
Date: 01 Dec 12 - 05:05 PM

Haven't seen this movie, but I confess to being a big fan of Meryl Streep. I haven't always liked the movies she was in, but think her a very talented and versatile actress and usually think she does a fine job inhabiting whatever role she is playing.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 01 Dec 12 - 05:17 PM

"forward thinking and perfectly correct"

I didn't get that idea at all.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 01 Dec 12 - 05:36 PM

People of the left love a film like this, as it confirms all their prejudices. They suspend all critical faculties at the door, as they go in :)
I too find Meryl an automaton, and a sheet of blotting paper.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Bobert
Date: 01 Dec 12 - 06:25 PM

Meryl Streep is one fine actress...

The Iron Lady was, too... Didn't know squat about squat but she and her buddy Ronald Reagan forged ahead as if they actually did know stuff... The each damaged the futures of their countries...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 Dec 12 - 07:06 PM

me, too, Janie, plus her parents are lovely folks. My daughter and her friend went trick or treating at their home in Mystic. They asked the girls in to get their opinions, for Meryl, of some songs demo tape someone had sent her. It was pretty neat.

I won't see the movie, Living through Reagan's reign is fresh in my memory.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 01 Dec 12 - 07:14 PM

I don't know Who MtheGM was talking about, someone he pulled out of his butt, probably. I was hoping for a sympathetic portrayal so I could learn more about her. But the story was told from the point of view of senility. Her political career was shown in uninformative snippets and not really dramatized and rarely commented upon. It was the lack of content that disappointed.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: GUEST,Big Al Whittle
Date: 01 Dec 12 - 07:20 PM

Jim Broadbent - always worth the ticket price.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 01 Dec 12 - 07:31 PM

He was very good in the film.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 02 Dec 12 - 01:42 AM

Jack ~ My post was more activated by the immediately preceding one from achmelvich [who, tho, looking again left it uncertain as to whether he had actually seen the film or was just distressed by seeing the pix in the ads, in which case silly old him!], than by yours, which was indeed more of a reasoned critique of the film itself than of its subject. Can't say I thought it as bad a film as you did at that, tho, as far as I recall. She did/does after all suffer from dementia which must be hard on her family; and I thought it gave a fair, neither hostile nor adulatory, account of her career [apart from the hat in the House which Eliza so astutely noticed] and its effects on her marriage & family life, with the aid of a fine performance from that outstanding actress [I don't care what anybody sez] MS, and excellent support from the always-reliable Jim Broadbent & Olivia Colman as Carol, with many excellent perfs as her colleagues & opponents.

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 02 Dec 12 - 01:03 PM

I don't know Thather except through news reports. I wanted to know more of her.

The film was about the dementia whether or not the Elderly Thatcher suffers from that is of no interest to me. The decision making and point of view and even the family relations of the governing Thatcher would have been of great interest, that was what I wanted to see when I rented the movie. Those were presented in snippets, from a third hand point of view. The writing was a cop out and a rip off. IMHO.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 02 Dec 12 - 01:20 PM

Sorry, Jack, but you are being thoroughly unreasonable. It is always vain criticism to denounce a book, film, or whatever, for not doing what it never set out to do. The makers of this film chose a particular aspect of, and approach to, the subject. They are hardly to blame if it was not the one that you were hoping for, are they? I don't see that their failure to address what the great Jack 'wanted to see when he rented the movie' makes the work a 'cop-out & a rip-off'. I mean, it is of course disgraceful that they forgot to consult your tastes and desires before making the movie, but...

If you are so keen to find out more about her, read a book, why don't you? Nothing the film makers can do to prevent your following the subject further if you really want to. It would be a more constructive and intelligent use of your time than moaning on here about what the film-makers didn't choose to do.

Regards

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: fat B****rd
Date: 02 Dec 12 - 03:44 PM

It's unlikely that I'll see The Iron Lady film but I did enjoy Lindsay Duncan's portrayal of Mrs. T in the UK TV 'Margaret'.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Ed T
Date: 02 Dec 12 - 04:01 PM

After seeing Julie & Julia on TV, I am not interested in seeing another of Streep's films. I suspect it is similar in nature, (poor in my view).

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 02 Dec 12 - 04:27 PM

"It is always vain criticism to denounce a book, film, or whatever, for not doing what it never set out to do"

Apparently what it set out to do was create just enough footage o Thather the politician to fill the six minutes of trailers I saw and not to include and inch more in the film.

I don't know what the film maker intended. But if it was to make Streep look good at Thatcher's expense, it was a triumph.

My problem is NOT the filmakers' intent, it was what the marketers sold me.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 02 Dec 12 - 04:31 PM

Apparently what it set out to do was create just enough footage of Thather the politician to fill the six minutes of trailers I saw and not to include and inch more of footage in the film.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 02 Dec 12 - 04:37 PM

I sympathise with that, Jack. But your beef should be against the marketers, not the film makers.

"The writing was a cop out and a rip off. IMHO." But now you admit it wasn't the *writing*, but the publicity, to which you took exception, for which you will have to blame the packagers of the dvd you appear to have borrowed. You can scarcely blame

Pathé
Film4 Productions
UK Film Council
Media Rights Capital
Goldcrest Films

- can you now?

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 02 Dec 12 - 05:01 PM

You can blame each and every one of them for making a move that couldn't possibly make its money back and selling it as something else.

If they had used the honest campaign. "Watch Streep's stunning performance as a little old lady deciding to give away her husband's clothes! And by the way, the little old lady used to be Prime Minister of the UK."

It would have gone straight to video.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 02 Dec 12 - 06:57 PM

I think it is very undesirable to allow Americans to play the parts of English people. They simply cannot do the accent and it destroys the credibity - what thespians call"the suspension of disbelief". Streep is widely regarded as a master of accent but the trailers I saw of this film made me wince. Not quite Dick van Dyke, but bloody awful accent stuff.

But in any event I would not watch a film about the bitch Thatcher - unless it was one of her being burned or boiled alive - or maybe when her complicity in the greatest frame-up on British history comes out, being posthumously stripped of her honours, disinterred, and her body thrown to carrion birds.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 02 Dec 12 - 11:41 PM

I'm disappointed that the following vignette was not in the movie.

While visiting the United Kingdom , Winnie Mandela was invited to a cocktail party which was also to be attended by Margaret Thatcher.
When Winnie saw the ex-prime minister on the other side of the room, she barged past everyone, spilling the drinks of several invited guests on the way.
Winnie elbowed her way to Maggie, stood brazenly in front of her and declared,
"I hear they call you the Iron Lady!"
"I have been referred to by that name, yes," replied Maggie, peering down her nose at this impudent upstart.
"And whom, may I enquire, do I have the honour of addressing?" asked Maggie icily.
"I am the iron lady of South Africa !" bragged Winnie, waving her fist in the air.
"Oh, yes," replied Maggie dryly. "And for whom do you iron?"

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: theleveller
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 03:42 AM

I haven't seen the film so can't comment on it but my son tells me that when he was in a cinema in Castleford and a trailer for it was shown, a large portion of the audience stood up a booed.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: GUEST,999
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 04:23 AM

Charlie Chaplin played Hitler, but of course he was on Hitler's death list a decade before the movie.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Will Fly
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 04:29 AM

I think it is very undesirable to allow Americans to play the parts of English people.

Oh really, Richard? Watch "Spinal Tap".

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 05:06 AM

And note Gwyneth Paltrow in Sliding Doors.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 05:09 AM

... and the converse ought to apply for British actors playing Americans; but note that Tennessee Williams himself chose, not only Vivien Leigh for the lead in the original London Production of his A Streetcar Named Desire, but Jessica Tandy, also English, for the original NY production.

~M~

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 06:41 AM

... and Vivien Leigh was subsequently cast in the American film of the play...

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 09:07 AM

Yawn.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 09:14 AM

Don't know who you might be, Mr Jennings; but you must have a fine opinion of yourself if you imagine that I regard the maintaining of your fatuous interest as any part of my responsibilities.

Take your mannerless self off into company where it might be appreciated - if you please.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 01:52 PM

"Take your mannerless self off into company where it might be appreciated - if you please. "

I didn't realize this was an option, since you think that it is, please kindly do so yourself.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: The Sandman
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 02:27 PM

jeez, this is like prim ministers question time,lots of people throwing insults, mrs thatcher would enjoy it and she would give you naughty boys a good spanking

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Seamus Kennedy
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 02:41 PM

Ooh, Dick. Lots of people would pay good money to see THAT!

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Little Hawk
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 02:42 PM

Hmmm. Well, my reaction to this movie was pretty much the same...in fact just about exactly the same...as yours, Jack.

I'm almost always interested in political historical films, because the subject of politics interests me. I don't care if they're films about John Kennedy, Richard Nixon, Margaret Thatcher, Gandhi, Gorbachev, Castro, whoever....whether or not I liked them...I find the subject interesting and I hope to find out more about what was going on politically at the time, what influenced key decisions, etc.

I wanted to see the same things in the movie that you did, and I was disappointed to find that it offered only a few fragments of political history amidst a great deal about her declining mental health...a rather sad and depressing subject, no matter who it's happening to.

I don't think it's "always vain criticism to denounce a book, film, or whatever, for not doing what it never set out to do", as M says above. One might hope that a book or film would set out to do something really worthwhile and interesting with a juicy subject, rather than wasting a grand opportunity to do so! ;-D

In my opinion, this lackluster and depressing film about Margaret Thatcher was a huge disappointment, because it wasted the opportunity to tell a really fascinating political story and to tell it well.

As for Meryl Streep...I'm sort of neutral on her. On the one hand, I think she's a very fine character actress. On the other hand, I find her kind of odd in a way, rather wooden, and I usually don't feel much of a connection to the characters she plays in movies. She's good at the job, allright, but her style doesn't appeal to me much.

I chose to watch the movie because the history interests me, not because Meryl Streep was playing the part. What I got to see in that movie was precious little of the history.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 03 Dec 12 - 11:45 PM

Yeah, that's about it LH. I will say that Streep was brilliant in the movie and the role was a perfect display of her acting chops. She certainly deserved the Oscar.

But had it been advertized for what it was, I would not have rented it.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: GUEST,Stim
Date: 04 Dec 12 - 01:50 AM

The best comment that I came across about "The Iron Lady" said something to the effect that everyone has a strong opinion about Margaret Thatcher except for the makers of the film. I tend to agree with that assessment. As has been remarked, the film pretty much ignored the historical story, and used a typical Hollywood formula   to tell the story of a character who was tough, determined, and ultimately triumphed against all odds. It was a bit vague about what the odds actually were, but that's entertainment...

The real Mrs. Thatcher, though able to manage both love and hate with equanimity, might have been uncomfortable with pity, which is all this film seems to ask for her.

I saw every film nominated for an Oscar this year; there were some great ones, but this was not one of them. Though I like Meryl Streep(at least sort of), her films tend to be about her acting. This was no exception. When she got the Oscar, she won out over the story.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 04 Dec 12 - 01:57 AM

Well put Stim.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: GUEST,Big Al Whittle
Date: 04 Dec 12 - 03:35 AM

One of the best films about Meryl Streep and the Thatcher era

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsvdhIzlYAo&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fresults%3Fsearch_query%3DThe%2BStrike%26oq%3DThe%

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Jack the Sailor
Date: 04 Dec 12 - 04:10 AM

The uploader has not made this video available in your country.

sigh...

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: GUEST,Black Belt Caterpillar Wrestler
Date: 04 Dec 12 - 07:41 AM

As regards Meryl Streep's acting, I have been urged to watch several of her films but have never found her to be particularly inspiring or even memorable.
As for the subject in hand I'm with my friend who still has a bottle of champagne awaiting her passing.

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 04 Dec 12 - 07:55 AM

How pathetic! I really feel sorry for you, BBCW!

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: Greg F.
Date: 04 Dec 12 - 09:39 AM

Ya want history, LH, read a history book. This is a MOVIE fer chrissakes - you know, entertainment? Make believe? Hollywood???

Now that we know where you get your knowledge of history from, a lot of your diatribes make a good deal more "sense".

Subject: RE: BS: Iron lady
From: GUEST,Stim
Date: 04 Dec 12 - 10:51 AM

In a film, certain conventions are used to build interest, to develop character, and to move the story forward. They usually have nothing to do with reality at all.

Just because I am sort of that way, I like to know about the reality, so I google something like, "The Iron Lady-what really happened" or some such. Generally, someone has gone through the movie, either with broad strokes or point by point, comparing what really happened with the film. It can be very entertaining.