Article courtesy The Washington Examiner: Actress Meryl Streep dashed in and out of Washington Wednesday night to give a boost to her favorite D.C.-based pet project, building a National Women’s History Museum on the National Mall. “Oh it’s going to happen,” she told Yeas & Nays. “We just need to get people riled up.” That doesn’t seem to be too tough a feat for Streep. During the VIP reception of the first ever Christine de Pizan Honors Gala, put on by the nonprofit that represents the future museum, Streep attracted a line of several hundred fans to pose for photos. “Oh my God, she’s my favorite actress,” Rep. Carolyn Maloney said, before giving a perfectly political response to the question of her favorite Streep flick. “My favorite film of her is the one that we make of her playing herself, in the passage of the Women’s Museum and also the Equal Rights Amendment,” the New York Democrat explained. Streep gave quite the pep talk, standing on the stage of the Ronald Reagan building. “We just got to pull together girls and get this done,” she said, before giving us a little sneak peak of her lead character in “The Iron Lady.” “As Margaret Thatcher said, ‘if you want something spoken about ask a man, if you want it done, ask a woman.'” To which she received a standing ovation from the riled up crowd.

Yesterday, Meryl was a speaker at the De Pizan Honors Gala hosted by The National Women’s History Museum in Washington DC. Pictures from the event have been added to the Image Library.

As the Hollywood Reporter writes today, Meryl Streep’s portrayal of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady is already attracting as much controversy as the life and work of Thatcher herself. Ever since the trailer and early screenings have been released, news outlets in the United Kingdom are bursting (or going nuts, that lies in the eye of the beholder) with either praise for Streep’s performance and/or criticism for the film itself. And it’s quite difficult to select who’s seen the film, or just the trailer, or none. The THR continues, as the movie is being widely touted – largely because of Streep’s involvement – as an awards season favorite on both sides of the Atlantic, largely sight unseen. Former cabinet member and Tory stalwart Norman Tebbit wrote in the Daily Telegraph newspaper that Thatcher was “never, in my experience, the half-hysterical, over-emotional, over-acting woman portrayed by Meryl Streep.” That just from the trailer currently showing here. The media screenings begin in earnest next week here but the Tory stalwarts poo-pooing the movie in the pages of the right-wing leaning national The Daily Telegraph are queuing up. Tim Bell, one of Thatcher’s key PR advisers, described the film as a “non-event” and said he had no interest in seeing it (which means, basically, that he hasn’t seen it). The typically left-leaning national broadsheet The Guardian said in its early notice for the film that Streep’s turn is “astonishing and all but flawless; a masterpice of mimicry which re-imagines Thatcher in all her half-forgotten glory.” I personally think that the outrage of any media is a welcome promotion for the film itself. Holding its trailer and screenings back for as long as possible has succeeded in making “The Iron Lady” the talk of the town.

I’ve added two new video clips to the gallery – one is a report on the “Iron Lady” poster unveiling in London, the other is Meryl’s speech at the Academy Tribute to Vanessa Redgrave (a great speech, as always). Also, additional pictures from this event have been added to the gallery.

As “The Iron Lady” has been screened for journalists in the United Kingdom these past days, many outlets have published their first reviews, and here’s a summary. David Gritten at The Telegraph said: “Awards should be coming Streep’s way; yet her brilliance rather overshadows the film itself.” The Guardian Xan Brooks said Streep’s performance “is astonishing and all but flawless”. He added: “Yet Streep, it transpires, is the one great weapon of this often silly and suspect picture.” The Daily Mail also praised Streep’s portrayal. Critic Baz Bamigboye wrote: “Only an actress of Streep’s stature could possibly capture Thatcher’s essence and bring it to the screen. The film follows Baroness Thatcher from her early years breaking through class and gender barriers to become prime minister to her political downfall in 1990. The Thatcher era from 1979 to 1990, was a time of social and economic change for Britain. Elected following a period of widespread strikes, dubbed the winter of discontent, Lady Thatcher and her Conservative government embarked on tough reforms to tackle inflation and the trade unions. Her policies divided the country – seeing a boom in the service sector and home ownership but a decline in manufacturing and soaring unemployment.

Added the just unveiled UK poster for “The Iron Lady” as well as captures from the trailer to the gallery.

Lots of “Iron Lady” news today. This morning, Meryl and director Phyllida Lloyd attended a photocall in London to unveil the film’s poster and promote its January 2012 release. Lots of pictures have been added to the gallery.

This is the day we’ve all been waiting for all year, haven’t we? The UK theatrical trailer for “The Iron Lady” has been released today, offering more than just a glimpse of Meryl playing Britain’s first female Prime Minister. The full trailer has been added to the video archive.

In probably the first article that introduces her as “Left-wing star Meryl Streep”, the Daily Mail’s Baz Bamigboye has all the insight on the upcoming “The Iron Lady”: Many feared the worst when they heard Meryl Streep was to play Margaret Thatcher in a new film. Not only was Baroness Thatcher to be cast as a rather befuddled, elderly woman looking back on the triumphs and disappointments of her life, but Streep is also of a very different political hue from Maggie. It was commonly agreed that our greatest Prime Minister since Churchill would be vilified. Such fears are misplaced. Having just seen the film in a London preview before its release in January, and then having spoken at length to Meryl Streep about her role in The Iron Lady, I can state categorically that the doomsayers were wrong. Streep’s portrayal will, I have no doubt, come to be seen as magnificent portrait of Lady Thatcher. And when I spoke exclusively to the double Oscar-winning actress about playing her, she declared herself to be in ‘awe’ of Lady T, adding that this was the biggest role she had undertaken in her career. ‘It took a lot out of me, but it was a privilege to play her, it really was,’ she told me. ‘It was one of those rare, rare films where I was grateful to be an actor and grateful for the privilege of being able to look at a life deeply with empathy. There’s no greater joy.’ The 62-year-old star, who was in London to see the completed film, explained how she admired Thatcher’s willingness to stand and be leader, a decision which meant she had to offer her life, and her family’s, ‘on an altar’ to the public good. The complete article can be read here.

As previously reported, Meryl Streep has attended tonight’s AMPAS tribute to Vanessa Redgrave in London. The two have starred in three films together, starting with Meryl’s screen debut in 1977’s “Julia” to playing mother and daughter in 1993’s “The House of the Spirits” and playing lifelong friends in 2007’s “Evening”. Pictures from the event have been added to the gallery.