Meryl Streep is... Iron Lady
Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 9:36AM The first picture of Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher is out. Courtesy of the BBC.
Meryl Streep and Margaret Thatcher, The Iron Lady
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I worry about this biopic given that the director of Mamma Mia! is helming. Hopefully she learned what a camera was and what editors do and somesuch on that practice run. I'm also curious about what drew Streep to the project. I don't know a lot about British politics but I know enough to know that Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister, was no friend to the liberal artsy set (i.e. Meryl's people) and I've heard Thatcher vilified in films like Hunger (2008) and in various songs from the likes of Sinéad O'Connor. Anyone remember that kick off to Boy George's "No Clause 28" which was fighting against anti-gay legislation at the time?
[Thatcher impersonator] "The aim of this government is to make everyone as miserable as possible!" ♫
I'm sure there are more examples of famous progressives publicly hating on her or at least the politics she embodied as Conservative Leader.
But back to Streep. What I really want to know is why Meryl so rarely works with the great auteurs? Imagine the potent combo. I mean think of Daniel Day-Lewis paired with P.T. Anderson or Emily Watson with Lars Von Trier. If Meryl ever faced a director on her level the earth might spontaneously combust from the artistic fire.
Remember that awesome speech Nora Ephron gave about Meryl Streep playing you? So so funny. Here it is again just for kicks. The best comedy bit that Nora Ephron ever wrote?
Meryl Streep, Nora Ephron, Oscars (11), biopics, politics
Reader Comments (31)
HA! i LOVE that nora ephron clip - but the tracey ullman one [from the same award show] is almost paradise - first time i saw it almost ODed.
But, does she have to like the person she portrays? She is certainly an interesting individual and if the script provides her with more dimensions than the one(s?) she has shown at her public appearances, that's great.
But to be honest, I'm tired with all these "real person" performances of hers. I do hope however she'll be brilliant and win the damn third as I do with every new project of hers is announced.
And the perf might be interesting in the context of her other two recent bitchy roles (Prada and Doubt).
Zzzzzzzz. Wake me when it's over. I love Meryl just as much as the next person, but she's got to do better than this. It's high time she takes an artistic risk -- a real one -- and does something completely out of the box and unexpected.
I agree that Meryl need to branch out and work with someone that really challenges her. I think that's the only way the 3rd Oscar will come to her. Do something that surprises us! The closest she's gotten in the past few years to someone harnessing her talent is Adaptation. Spike Jones was good for her!
As a Streeper, ya I said it, I want her to win her long overdue 3rd Oscar but I want it to be because she blew us out of the water doing something unexpected. She's always spectacular but everyone takes it for granted. Not to mention the people that cast her do so at this point for the sake of the film - knowing she'll most likely be nominated guarantees more people will see it right out of the gate. I don't have a problem with her not having won the 3rd yet (save the Bridges of Madison County, Adaptation nominations - and snub for The Hours). Those were her truly robbed moments. Don't get me started on the past two years. I have more of a problem knowing that Hilary Swank has the same # of Oscars as her. That makes me just smack my head against the wall a few times.
I'd much prefer her to get her butt back on stage and win a Tony. Go for the triple crown!
I think it is pretty clear why Streep was interested in this role as she has often said that she is fascinated by powerful woman struggling in a man's world whether it be politics, publishing, or the church, and the effect of this on the woman professionally and personally. This can be seen in some of her recent roles. I do not think she is that interested in the ideology of the character. As to Streep not working with acclaimed directors, in the last few years she has worked with Jonze, Demme, Altman, and Wes Anderson among others. While Lloyd did not do much with Mamma Mia, she has a very good reputation in serious theater and received a Tony nomination for directing her most recent play on Broadway.
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The expression on her face seems to indicate that this could be another Julie & Julia; a comedy. But you're right, and this was the point made by the guy who wrote the piece on Swinton as the Anti-Streep. It seems like Streep is more interested in THE ROLE and THE ACTING rather than the film or the director. As if the challenges and hurdles of her performance and acting matter more than helping to create an interesting, challenging and engaging piece of cinema with an aueteur.
I think Thatcher should be played by someone rather unknow.
The fact Phyllida Law is directing adds extra uncertainty to the whole project.
The comments section in the guardian article is very telling, lots of Brits still have a big issue with Margaret Thatcher
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/feb/08/meryl-streep-margaret-thatcher-iron-lady
Isn't Phyllida Law Emma Thompson's mom?
Paul -- i wouldn't count Wes Anderson as that's animated voice work. I'm super glad she did an Altman before he died though. And her performance for Jonze was magic. So more of that! I just think it must be hard to direct her if you aren't an artist at her level. I mean could you imagine being a newbie direct and telling her to bring it down a notch or whatnot. Chances are most of them feel ill equipped to advise her on Acting of all things.
rami -- Phyllida Law is Emma Thompsons' mum yes. but the Mamma Mia! directors is Phyllida Lloyd. CONFUSING. ;)
Kimberly -- yes. she needs the triple crown.
I want Meryl to get her third Oscar as much as anyone, but the last thing I want is to have to watch some kind of warm humanistic take on the Iron Lady. I bit my tongue with the Reagan tribute but this is like a one-two punch (head-body-head-body).
These two powerful leaders busted unions, discriminated against gay people, let AIDS spread, began the process of wealth-consolidation that has gone on unabated for twenty years, and went on the attack against the arts. Stop me before my eyes bleed.
OK, I love Meryl Streep, I DO! But when I saw the photo around 5 hours ago I burst into laughter, really couldn't stop and I think my neighbors heard me.
It looks way too funny/hilarious to inspire seriousness in my brain/heart from a first time viewing, yet I really hope she nails it, because she is a wonderful mimic.
I think she got involved in the project because she likes to work with women directors and because knowing that Phyllida Lloyd is behind the camera, she'll be able to do anything she wants to, which is what happened with the "Julie and Julia" parade. This time it would be nice to see serious character development and something a little more subtle than "Doubt" and "Julie and Julia".
The film doesn't have to be a masterpiece, not even very good, just mediocre with her name attached to it will win her the 3rd Oscar. They'll really want to give it to her this time. It's what they like and it's Streep doing it.
This year is going to be massively competitive, but if you look at all the legendary names returning with new projects (Diane Keaton, Maggie Smith, Judi Dench, Glenn Close, Faye Dunaway) only Close is oscar-less and I'm not sure she's going to be strong enough to stop Streep.
Even Phyllida Law would be a better director than Phyllida Lloyd! :)
Derek Jarman's entire oeuvre is basically a repudiation/attack on Thatcherite policies against gay people and the poor. I mean, yes, they are more than that, but it was a big part of it (like the protest scenes in Edward II, etc.).
I saw that picture and immediately thought "isn't that a fake nose? It looks it. Will Meryl get knocked for it (the make-up did the acting!) the way Nicole back in the day for the Hours? (even on this site - I remember Nathaniel's Oscar predictions page.)
No, of course not, she's Meryl. Just as nobody said last year "enough nominating biopic mimicry already!" she's Meryl. And btw I enjoy Meryl as a personality and an actress (so I'm not a hater) and very much enjoyed Julie & Julia, but still...it's Meryl. So every criticism we might have of a project with a different peformer is automatically verboten. At least, that's how it seems sometimes.
I think we have to settle for this, now. (although she's doing AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY next). Meryl just seems to be doing whatever she wants. And she doesn't even care - as do I - about critics who say she hasn't been daring in a long time.
She is already the greatest actress ever (ok, one of the greatest). She doesn't need anything else to solidify that.
What do you want? If it were up to the critics, she'd be doing a biopic of herself. Meryl playing Meryl. It's better than Thatcher, isn't it?
Now that I think of it... not such a bad idea. Go Meryl, ask Charlie Kaufman to write it for you. You know he'll pull off such a masterpiece.
That’s a very good look for her. I like it a great deal. It’s so funny to me how Hollywood can glamorize any regular looking person. They need to go ahead and engrave her third statuette.
What exactly is the Academy waiting for? – Her twentieth nomination? If Helen Mirren can win a statuette playing an English crone – so can Meryl Streep!
Maybe Streep is drawn to middle of the road pap? Is that crime? It’s so easy to give advice to our favorite actresses but the men in charge – firstly – must show interest.
I want Anjelica Huston working with Almodovar. Who’s representing her again?
I want Kathy Bates to become Quentin Tarantino’s muse. He’s pretty aimless to me these days and since he loves women and isn’t afraid of unthinkable elsewhere casting – come on QT think of the Rocket man monologue and her profanity wall to wall of Primary Colors – The Late Shift (HBO). Or her willingness to do old woman nudity – that’s something she has over a lot of women except Helen Mirren – that elderly streetwalker.
Bringing it back to Meryl – I fully support her 3rd statuette and a 4th one and a 5th in the supporting category.
Well, I have to ask: so what if she prefers to pick which films she's in based on the role rather than the director or film? She's an actor--she picks her roles based on her skills as an actor, not on the director or the film. The idea that she never works with great directors is silly: someone just brought up Adaptation., and it's not like John Patrick Shanley, admittedly not a great director but a Pulitzer-winning writer, is any lightweight. I know the Swinton type is the desirable here at The Film Experience, but I have to say that I like Streep just fine.
You know the expression "She could wear a trash bag and still look beautiful" Well! La Streep could act against the trash bag in a dump*, and I still want to see her :)
*and by "trash bag" I mean a bad actor, and by "dump" I mean an awful movie
SanFran -- well i wasn't doing a reagan "tribute" so much as marking the date. because he has that unique actor/president place in history. I TOTALLY agree with what you're saying. Thatcher and Reagan in tandem sure set some scary things in motion. it's said to me that 50% of the population (and more actually) herein America still things deregulation is hunkydory despite what it's done to the world. the richer get richer... talk about redistribution of wealth! We're all subsidizing the very wealthy.
Streep and Thatcher strike me as a great fit. I'll be interested to see how the film handles Thatcher and her politics - as you've said, she's still one of THE biggest hate figures here in the UK, and it isn't uncommon to hear people refer to her as stright-up malicious or crazy, or wish she would die already. People have parties planned...
Certainly, I think she mauled British society (the education system, public transport, and oh yes whole communities of working class people) and left a whole lot of broken shit in her wake (although a lot of it would probably have happened anyway in the long run, given the political and social shift to free-market liberal consumerism that has been a seemingly inevitable trend in the UK over the past fifty years or so), but like many narrow, destructive but forceful, intelligent and idealistic people, she's pretty damn fascinating. Worth noting too that she may have been a woman succeeding in an almost archetypically patriarchal system, she had no interest in doing anything for women. Apparently, the Queen couldn't stand her. Bring back Mirren for a face off! Sarah Palin wants to meet her. I say to Palin - in her prime she would have eaten you for breakfast and picked her teeth with Bristol.
Lloyd didn't seem exactly... competent first time out, but something more performance-centred may play to her theatrical strengths.
Oh, and Streep will have to measure up to Patricia Hodge's brilliant performance as Thatcher in The Falklands Play. I'm deeply ambivalent about that TV film's politics, but it is well worth seeing for Hodge if you can find it anywhere.
Why Meryl? I'm dying to see Vanessa Redgrave back at the oscars. Can you believe she has no oscar for leading? Maggie Smith has three movies this year. Meryl Streep is not the only acting living leyend.
3rd Oscar! Woooooooooo!
But it'll be for "August: Osage County" tho.
Amazing likeness to ole' Thatch there.
I'd be a dream to have a lineup solely composed of legends...
Close, Streep, Smith, Dench... It'd be amazing.
But I have a hunch next year we'll have Tilda Swinton winning for "Let's Talk About Kevin".
They can't ignore her again.
A line from Elton and Lee Hall's Billy Elliot play is "Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher; We all celebrate the day, because it's one day closer to your death."
I doubt Meryl will win for such a hated figure.
Sticking by my early opinion that this stands zero chance of winning Meryl #3. We've gotten our hopes up time and time again, and nothing quite does it. Some younger starlet will swoop in- and there are plenty of 20 and 30 somethings who will be demanding Oscars soon- Hathaway, Williams, Adams, Gyllenhaal, Mulligan, Knightley...
The problem is, everyone has the perception of Streep being overrewarded, so it's going to take her ACTUALLY being the best of the year (and considerably away from the pack) to make #3 happen. And honestly, I think it'll probably be in Supporting.
Streep's resemblance to Thatcher is astounding.
Why is it when some say "Streep' many also say in a disparaging tone 'mimic' or 'impersonation'? Didn't George C. Scott impersonate Patton? Marion Cotillard and Edith Piaf? Sean Penn and Harvey Milk? Sissy Spacek and The Coal Miners Daughter? PSH and Capote? Some of the greatest performances.
I can only think of 2 roles where Streep did 'impersonations': Ethel Rosenberg and Julia Child. She nailed both of them. Any others?
Nathaniel -- Sorry about "tribute" re Reagan -- that was a bit much on my end!
Maybe Meryl's liberal politics will lead the Thatcher biopic down the road to horror.... Less "The Queen" and more "The Last King of Scotland", complete with Maggie and Ronnie feasting on the bones of the poor. (Andrew Garfield in the James McEvoy role?) Now that's something I'd pay to see on Opening Weekend.