Had anyone but Meryl Streep played Margaret Thatcher in this film, I imagine that "The Iron Lady" would be about half as interesting as it actually is. Streep's majestic performance is yet another example of her uncanny ability to inhabit a role so completely and so profoundly that it becomes nearly impossible to distinguish between actor and character. Streep nails Thatcher's voice, her tone, her mannerisms, her deportment, every nuance of her identity. Her performance is so remarkable that she actually manages to make Thatcher likable in a number of scenes. Jim Broadbent is equally impressive as Thatcher's loyal and supportive husband Denis, and the rest of the cast is solid as well. But the real attraction here is Streep—this is a tour de force performance, and it will be difficult indeed to deny her a third Oscar.
Review of The Iron Lady
