Click here for the review of The Iron Lady

SPOILERS must be tagged with the "SPOILER" tag!

The bit about the Falklands and Reagan being glossed over is enough to put me off the show...

Looks like another piece of glossy, self-important, down-the-middle Oscar bait where nothing unexpected happens and is aimed to please everyone (and, because of that, probably pleases fewer), a la "The Help" and "The King's Speech." No thanks.

'The King's Speech' wasn't just a great movie, it documented something important in history. It saddens me that more people didn't catch on to this

But did everything in that film NOT unfold exactly as you figured it would? Hell, I could've directed it and it probably received just as many accolades... and I've never made a film in my life. Just as I'm sure "The Iron Lady" is, it was an easy enough film to admire, but, because it held no surprises for a film buff like me (even not knowing the full story), a difficult one to truly embrace.

That doesn't give it a free pass to be completely average. (I have a higher opinion of that film than most people on the board, but I'm just saying.)

I'm in agreement with Pedrovsky on all aspects of this. King's Speech is a little better than most people think it is, but it's subject does nothing to add quality to it.

I'm not sure how I should formulate my response to this, as I honestly cannot tell if you're trolling me or not

I guess maybe it's just a British thing... I mean being so accurate about such an important point in history is worthy of praise, I feel. Of course it could be argued that it only matters to those in the UK but then it wasn't called World War 2 for nothing right?

The King's Speech (t0 me anyway) was a good not great movie. It's intial charms fade the more you think about it and the more you realize it's one part underdog story, one part inspirational tale. Pearl Harbor was about an extremely important even in history. But it was a wretched, horribly made piece of shit. The King's Speech is good as it is. But there's no way Tom Hooper should have won the Oscar for best director over David Fincher.

The Help is another one that's kinda overrated. It's good and decently made. But it isn't great.

I assure you I'm not trolling you. It just seemed to me as though it took from every chapter out of the How to Make a Killing on Oscar Night playbook; a book that seems less appealing (for those like me, anyway) and becomes more cliched with each passing year. As Jeff said, it's a decent enough movie, but hardly Best Picture of the year... especially when up against edgier, more innovative fare like "The Social Network" and "Black Swan."

Ok well here goes:



Yes it sure did... are you sure this isn't a troll? Because you know, this sort of thing happens in pretty much every other movie (based on a novel, period in history, remake of an older film etc).

Irrespective, knowing the ending was besides the point (and yes, knowing how it was going to get there as well). Movies about road trips are often about the journey, not the final destination. We know that Prince Albert/King George VI became a decent speaker but the details are generally not known to the common individual. This was just an entertaining way of finding out.



Now I know you're just winding me up here I haven't seen 'Black Swan' yet but 'The Social Network'? Really?

The Iron Lady, certificate 12A, not suitable for miners.

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I liked THE IRON LADY a little bit more than you did, James, but only a little. I couldn't fault any of the performances - Streep, Broadbent, Anthony Head and Nicholas Farrell especially - but Lloyd didn't give them the time to breathe life into their characters. That, and she seemed conflicted over whether or not she wanted to make a straightforward biopic or a sympathetic portrayal of a famous individual.

That is why THE KING'S SPEECH, and Tom Hooper's THE DAMNED UNITED, are far superior films - in each case, Hooper knows what story he wants to tell, and gives his actors time to inhabit their characters. Keeping focus on the two leads, also, allows for much more compelling narratives. In those films, Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Michael Sheen and Timothy Spall all create larger than life characters - and they're helped by better scripts.

This is also why those who criticise THE SOCIAL NETWORK for not telling the whole story of why Facebook changed the world are missing the point - Fincher found one story to tell, and he told it well. If only Lloyd, and Abi Morgan, had put a bit more thought and effort into their project...