The upcoming biopic of Margaret Thatcher called The Iron Lady is currently shooting in London and today the first image of Meryl Streep as the ex-Prime Minister of Britain has appeared at it is a striking resemblance. Deadline posted the image this morning and she is almost a dead ringer for the good lady, if a little young looking.
There is no doubt that Streep’s performance as Lady Thatcher will be strong and certainly a shoo in for some early Oscar contention. There are also some very strong British actors in important parts, Jim Broadbent will play Thatcher’s husband Dennis and the members of Thatcher’s cabinet will be filled in by Richard E. Grant, Julian Wadham, Roger Allam and Angus Wright among others.
However there are reasons to raise an eyebrow. It is directed by Phyllida Lloyd, whose previous directing experience was Mamma Mia! not exactly the material that earns you the opportunity to direct a biopic of Thatcher. I’m also worried about how Thatcher will be portrayed, considering she is at the end of her life the film might not be entirely critical when that’s the tone it needs to find. Hopefully it won’t be self congratulatory and will show her for all her flaws and bad political decisions, a tone closer to Oliver Stone’s Nixon would be appropriate.
