If Gregory’s recent review of the film is any indication, Meryl Streep looks headed for another Oscar nomination – perhaps even a win? – for her performance as former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in the upcoming historical drama “The Iron Lady”. Indeed, judging from the full-length trailer for the film that hit the web today, I’d say that’s a pretty safe bet.
Juding from the mere 2 1/2 minutes of the Phyllida Lloyd-directed film (Lloyd also directed Streep in “Mamma Mia!”) shown in the new spot, Streep certainly looks and sounds the part of the Conservative leader – the first and so far only female to hold the nation’s top political office – but of course it’s the soul of the performance that will secure her a nod come Oscar time.
Known for her often-astonishing ability to mimic accents, Streep has proven time and again that she’s capable of not only mastering the technical aspects of playing a role but cutting to the heart of the characters she plays. I have no doubt she’ll manage to do that again here, but will it be enough to garner her a third Best Actress Oscar?
As noted by Gregory in his review, Streep hasn’t won an Academy Award since 1983, for her performance as Polish Holocaust survivor Zofia “Sophie” Zawistowski in “Sophie’s Choice”. Though she’s surely the most lauded actress of her generation, it still doesn’t seem quite right that it’s been so long since she last took home the gold. Will she break her long Oscar “losing” streak next year? Guess we’ll have to wait and see.
As for the trailer itself, I found it to be a good mixture of the film’s political and human elements (as Gregory points out in his review, it focuses quite a bit on the relationship between Thatcher and her now-deceased husband Denis Thatcher, played here by Jim Broadbent). My favorite moment comes at around the :35second mark, when Streep as Thatcher opens her eyes with a look of astonished consternation after being belittled by a fellow politician. Needless to say, I’d hate to be the poor guy on the receiving end of that particular onslaught.
My grade for the trailer: “A”. Check it out below and then rate it for yourself at top left!