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On December 05, Meryl has participated in a press concerence for “The Iron Lady” in New York. A couple of pictures have been added to the image library.
When people say Meryl Streep is a great actress, they mean grand actress — one who calculates her moves, her makeup and her accent, and then turns up the thespic volume until her character risks becoming caricature. The tactic works when she plays Dragon Lady roles like the fashion doyenne in The Devil Wears Prada, less so in the more naturalistic settings of Mamma Mia! and Doubt. But given a famous woman to play, Streep eerily locates the voice, face and soul: of Julia Child in Julie & Julia and, with startling acuity, of Margaret Thatcher in this biopic. Smartly written by Abi Morgan (who co-wrote Shame) and directed by Mamma Mia!’s Phyllida Lloyd, the film spans nearly the complete life of Britain’s first female Prime Minister, from her youth as a greengrocer’s daughter through Oxford and her early years in the Conservative Party (when she is played by Alexandra Roach). Streep takes over in Maggie’s middle age and escorts the PM into a restless retirement, both haunted and warmed by the specter of her late husband Dennis (a marvelous Jim Broadbent). Her performance is a miracle of inhabiting, not editorializing; it turns the boss of 10 Downing Street into a woman meriting our sympathy and sadness. This time, grand is great. Full list and more articles on the Time website.
Many of the production stills of “The Iron Lady” have been replaced with better-quality versions and a couple of new stills and on-set pictures have been added as well.
A second theatrical trailer for “The Iron Lady” has been released – technically the first US trailer since the previous one was for the United Kingdom. Lots of new scenes in here, have a look.
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After an advance select screening of “The Iron Lady” at the DGA Theater in New York City, Meryl Streep and Phyllida Lloyd have participated in a Q&A which was broadcast on the internet, giving users an opportunity to ask questions. Both extensively talked about their motivation to bring Margaret Thatcher’s life to the screen, Meryl’s preparation, the controversy surrounding the project since its very beginning, and much more. The full appearance can be watched in the video archive. Pictures from the event can be found in the image library. |
Scans from the November 27 issue of the British Live Magazine have been added to the image library. Many many thanks to Alvaro for guiding the magazine to me. Enjoy! Additionally, you can find a transcript of the article in the magazines archive.
On December 14, director Phyllida Lloyd and Meryl Streep will participate in a panel discussion on “The Iron Lady” at the Apple Store in Soho, New York City. Here’s the press release: Join Oscar Award‒winning actress Meryl Streep and filmmaker Phyllida Lloyd (“Mama Mia”) as they discuss their new film, “The Iron Lady,” a surprising and intimate portrait of Margaret Thatcher (Streep), the first and only female prime minister of the United Kingdom. One of the 20th century’s most famous and influential women, Thatcher came from nowhere to smash through barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male-dominated world. When: Wed, Dec 14 at 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm. Where: Apple Store, SoHo 103 Prince St. Many thanks to Paul for the heads-up. This will be Meryl’s second Apple store panel after discussing “Fantastic Mr. Fox” at the store in 2009.
Six new production stills from “The Iron Lady” have been added to the gallery.
Here’s a very interesting article by Variety on the reception of “The Iron Lady”: Two decades after Margaret Thatcher was ousted by her own Conservative Party, Blighty’s first woman prime minister remains an instantly recognizable global icon who still sparks sharply polarized passions, particularly in the U.K. That level of brand awareness should be a gift to the makers of “The Iron Lady.” But given the strength of feeling she evokes, the question is whether anyone, fan or foe, can bear to watch a movie about her. Damien Jones, producer of the $20 million film, knows from his own family just what a divisive figure Thatcher was. “One of my grandmothers thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world. The other used to turn off the television whenever she came on,” he recalls. The media frenzy over the first glimpses of “The Iron Lady” confirms that Britain is as fiercely conflicted as ever between those who regard Thatcher as the greatest leader since Churchill, and those who think she did more damage to the country than anyone since Hitler. When Jones returned to England after living in America, he couldn’t understand why no one had made a film about such a towering personality. “Who else would you choose as one of the iconic figures of the 20th century?” he asks. “After Princess Diana and the Queen, there’s Mrs. Thatcher.” He wasn’t motivated by a specific interest in her politics so much as by a belief that she fitted the template of a marketable British star. “When I saw ‘The Queen’ and how everyone was lauding it, I thought maybe it’s time to try and bring this to fruition,” he says. Pathe, which backed “The Queen,” agreed, especially once the dream casting of Meryl Streep fell into place. The complete article can be read here.
According to Backstage, fans will be able to participate in a live online Q&A session with Meryl Streep director Phyllida Lloyd after an upcoming advance screening of the new film “The Iron Lady” on Tuesday, December 6th. After a select screening at the DGA Theater in New York City, the live Q&A will begin at approximately 8:45 p.m./ET, and will be made available online on Backstage’s website. The Q&A will be moderated by The Hollywood Reporter’s Scott Feinberg. The Weinstein Company hosted a similar event last year with the film “The King’s Speech” and had over 20,000 questions submitted in a 30-minute period during the Q&A. Users can submit questions at Ironladymovie.com and facebook.com/theironladymovie. Thanks to Richard for the heads-up!
