I heard about this little movie called The Iron Lady starring Meryl Streep but didn’t pay to much attention to it. I knew it was about one time (and only) female Prime Minister Margret Thatcher. I figured that it would be a dry British film about politics so avoided it. The result being one of those slap to the forehead moments when you finally give something a shot and discover you’d made a mistake in not doing so earlier. It’s actually a pretty fantastic film.

While some of the film does give some brief insight into Thatcher’s political life the film really revolves around the woman and how, being a woman in an all male world, led to her making great sacrifices for her country and ultimately alienating herself from emotions, especially in regard to her family.

As the film opens up we see an aged Thatcher, now long resigned from her record run as PM, traversing a market, a clear sign that she is clearly out of her element in regards to the human factor, but clearly still on her game in response to the price of living. This instance will find contrast later in the film. Later we learn that Thatcher is not well, under constant guard, for her own protection, and still living a full life with the ghost of her deceased husband Denis Thatcher, played by the always jovial Jim Broadbent. No, this isn’t some strange paranormal twist the likes of a Seth Grahame-Smith novel, this is a device that plays well in the film portraying a sense of dementia but also somewhat of a struggle with guilt. Though it sounds a bit cliché the ghost of Denis Thatcher plays a crucial device in progressing the story of Margret Thatcher.

If your looking for a film about this iconic political figurehead and her adventures in politics and all that imply, well, I would suggest either looking elsewhere or waiting for a heavier biopic which is sure to come with the success of The Iron lady. The film, as I said, is somewhat political, but at it’s core it’s a story about a woman, her humanity, and the importance of her role in history. Truly an engaging film that I highly suggest.

PICTURE AND AUDIO QUALITY:
For all intents and purposes this The Iron Lady BD release will no doubt serve as the definitive version of the film (in the current state of home entertainment technology), but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have it’s hiccups, most notably the decision by the filmmaker to keep a sort of drab look about the film. Colors are given the chance to shine but rarely reach that pinnacle that should be mandatory in any blu-ray release, and of course as with any biopic there are archive and less then stellar picture quality inserts within the film. Definition is solid, skin colors solid as well (when given the opportunity and light), but the film simply cannot escape the drab world in which Streep’s Margret Thatcher lives. Fortunately the days of completely muted gray and grainy looking film seem to have been placed behind the workings of the British film scene so there is at least a fair share you can grasp about the film as far as all the technical aspects of the BD release go. In the end though your really getting the best picture for your dollar and, after all, the real substance lies in the story.

Audio I had no issues with. Dialogue was never phased out by effects or music, everything meshed well together, and heavy explosions or rowdy scenes in which the police are pitted against protesters offer a healthy lfe output that gives the sound of the film a life all it’s own without sacrificing the quality. You can’t go wrong with the audio.

BONUS FEATURES:
~Recreating The Young Margret Thatcher
~Battle In The House of Commons
~Making of The Iron Lady
~Costume Design: Pearls and Power Suits
~Denis: The Man Behind the Woman
~DVD and Digital Copy