‘Iron Lady' doesn't live up to Thatcher

Whether you love or loathe Margaret Thatcher, the former British prime minister deserves a better movie treatment of her life than "The Iron Lady."

But both sides will agree that Meryl Streep really nails the impersonation.

Those who admire Thatcher and her right-wing politics will be offended that much of the film depicts her as a doddering old lady. An Alzheimer's-addled woman, that is, rummaging through her fading memories and having imaginary conversations with her deceased husband, Denis (Jim Broadbent).

Those who vehemently disagree with Thatcher's policies -- and consider her heartless to Britain's poor and a warmonger -- will wish for a movie that more thoroughly made a case for or against her political philosophy.

Instead, director Phyllida Lloyd (who directed Streep in "Mamma Mia!") and writer Abi Morgan serve up a montage of greatest hits from Thatcher's public career, providing little context or explanation of why Thatcher mattered.

This review is from The Salt Lake Tribune. To continue reading, please visit sltrib.com.