First of all; no, this absolutely is not a horrible movie but it still is one that makes some very odd choices with its story and approach, making this a very bland and ultimately forgettable movie.
I just really don't understand what the point was of having a seemingly from dementia suffering- and elderly Margaret Thatcher so prominently present in this movie. Seriously, what does it add to its story that the movie is for most part is focusing on this side of Thatcher, rather than on her political and personal life. Because of this the movie is also hardly telling you anything at all about who Margaret Thatcher was and what she was all about and stood for, during her still active life.
Her youth, personal life and political career are sporadicly being told in (some at times very short) flashbacks, or snippets, if you will, that at times aren't even being told in chronological order. This also means that the movie often allows itself to make some very big leaps in time, leaving a lot of blanks in the story. Things happen and are being told, often without a real good buildup to it. Because of this you also really don't learn all that much about Margaret Thatcher, or why she was called the iron lady or even as to why she was loved and yet also hated by so many at the very same time.
It sounds strange but this really is not a political movie. It instead seems to go more for some cheap drama, without hardly ever going deep into anything or anyone at all. It makes this a mostly very bland movie to watch.
Another thing with its story was that it could had been a real inspiration to women all over the world, showing this very common woman rising to the top and eventually becoming one of the most powerful woman in the world, for over 10 years, during a time that this was not considered to be normal at all. However this movie makes it seem like it was all very easy and normal for her to do. There is hardly anyone trying to hold her back or prevent her from getting any power. A real missed opportunity and besides odd, since the movie is actually being directed by a female.
But clearly this is not a horrible movie. There simply isn't enough to hate about it and it's still a pretty maintaining movie for what it is. It's not a movie that ever becomes boring or too sentimental or anything. Like I said, it's a very bland movie and this probably at the same time prevents it from becoming a horrible one in any way.
And it is also true that Meryl Streep is simply fantastic and really becomes her character, also thanks to some very convincing looking makeup. Her performance definitely deserved a better movie. I also really liked Jim Broadbent in his role as Thatcher's husband. Their relationship was perhaps still the most interesting and heartfelt thing about this entire movie.
An ultimately very forgettable movie, that won't teach you anything about who Thatcher was, its time period and all of the historically important events she was involved in.
6/10
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