Page 22 THE VILLADOM TIMES I & III • January 25, 2012 Film traces Thatcher from grocer’s daughter to PM by Dennis Seuling “The Iron Lady” is the story of the political rise and fall of Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep) from her modest early years as a clerk in her parents’ grocery shop to the prime minister of Great Britain. As with many screen biographies, the movie touches on career high points and, in the interest of maintaining a reasonable running time, either encapsulates or sidesteps the rest. What should be mentioned at the outset is the narrative choice director Phyllida Lloyd has made. Viewers first see the elderly Thatcher buying milk in a convenience store. It is years after her tenure as prime minister and, judging by the store clerk and other customers, she is hardly recognizable. It is Streep all right, but under considerable makeup and prosthetics to add decades to her appearance. Yet it is jarring since TV spots and other publicity have shown only Streep as the middle-aged Thatcher during her years at 10 Downing Street. Thatcher was elected to the Parliament in 1959. She was heavily critical of the tax policies of the Labour Government. In 1975, she became leader of the Conservative Party (and Leader of the Opposition), the first woman to head a major political party in the United Kingdom. After leading her party to victory in the 1979 general election, she became the United Kingdom’s first female prime minister. Margaret Thatcher and Meryl Streep, who stars as the former prime minister, in ‘The Iron Lady.’ The story unfolds from the present day as Thatcher recalls episodes from her past, with Alexandra Roach as the young Margaret, and her often tempestuous tenure as prime minister, the film’s most interesting. The film traces Thatcher’s rise to prominence in Parliament even as she is ridiculed as both a woman and a newcomer who dares to challenge seasoned members of that body. She seeks the advice of image shapers who suggest ways to command the respect of her peers and their serious attention. These include a new hairstyle, a deeper speaking voice, and the abandonment of hats. This is clearly Streep’s picture, with an Academy Award nomination a foregone conclusion. As with most of her previous screen performances, she immerses herself in the role. Since Thatcher is well remembered from endless news footage, Streep must inhabit her effectively, including the lady’s idiosyncrasies, gestures, and mannerisms. As the older Thatcher, she maintains the woman’s edginess -- somewhat tempered by time -- while moving and speaking as an elderly woman would -- shuffling, stooped, and grimacing from an occasional arthritic pang. No less than 13 individuals are listed in the movie’s credits under the “Makeup Department” banner, and their work is an integral part of Streep’s transformation into Thatcher. Traditional makeup, hair styling, prosthetics, and contact lenses contribute to an often uncanny likeness between star and real-life stateswoman. The makeup artists even (continued on Crossword page)