Sunday, November 13, 2011

HOLYWOOD SPY'S SPOTLIGHT ON LADY POWER 2011 FILMS: "IRON LADY' WITH MERYL STREEP AND "THE LADY" WITH MICHELLE YEOH

 It is interesting that the end of the year will bring us two biopics of famous ladies from the world of politics, although two very different ones: a much hated British Prime Minister who lead wars in THE IRON LADY and a much beloved Burmese activist who
fights for peace in THE LADY.

THE LADY OF WAR
One of the news this week was the move of the release date of Meryl Streep's drama THE IRON LADY to December 30th so that it could get in the run for Academy Awards, and there are absolutely no doubts that Meryl will score her 17th Oscar nomination! Directed by Phyllida Lloyd, known for an unforgivable sin of putting Meryl in superficially done MAMMA MIA movie, the film is basically a biopic of infamous British prime minister (or is it ministress :) Margaret Thatcher. THE IRON LADY will bring a surprising and intimate portrait of Margaret
Thatcher the first and only female Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. One of the 20th century’s most infamous and influential women, Thatcher came from nowhere to smash through barriers of gender and class to be heard in a male dominated world. She also became one of Britain's most hated politicians. The story concerns power and the price that is paid for power. The film will also feature an insight into her private life with marvelous Jim Broadbent playing her husband.The cast also includes Richard E. Grant and brilliant Harry Lloyd from GAME OF THRONES as young Dennis Thatcher.
Meryl Streep has just one film scheduled for future, it's GREAT HOPE SPRINGS in which she and Tommy Lee Jones will play  a middle-aged couple which goes on an intense counseling weekend to decide the fate of their marriage. Steve Carell will play the counselor. 



THE LADY OF PEACE
Another political drama hitting cinemas this December is THE LADY in which amazing and always wonderful Michelle Yeoh portrays Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner and pro-democracy icon who led the opposition against the Burmese military junta that arrested her in 1989, and spent 15 years of the last 21 years under house arrest.The film will also bring a true story of love set against political turmoil by depicting her personal struggles since she had to choose whether to lead the political battle or to fight her husband's (always amazing David Thewlis) cancer battle. It is an epic love story about how this extraordinary couple and family
sacrificed their happiness at great human cost for a higher cause. Despite distance, long separations, and a dangerously hostile regime, their love endures until the very end. The film, which premieres later this year, is directed by famous French director
Luc Besson (THE BIG BLUE, THE FIFTH ELEMENT). It is interesting that most of the first reviews of the film describe it as lacking in feeling and authenticity, with the usual Western ignorance in depicting foreign cultures in one-dimensional way.

23 comments:

  1. Both sound like truly Oscar worthy ones and sure Streep will get the nod once more.

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  2. it would be a crime if she doesn't!

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  3. Love Meryl Streep and Jim Broadbent, but I'm still not sure I can sit through a film about Margaret Thatcher. :(

    And I can't even believe they made a movie about Aung San Suu Kyi!! That one I'll watch. :)

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  4. Beautiful post. I love seeing films about powerful women, even if I disagree with their opinions, politics, whatever. I am shocked that a film about Mags wasn't done sooner. Guess they were waiting for Meryl's schedule to free up LOL She is marvelous in everything she does and yes, Mamma Mia was dreadful. But she gave it her all as usual.

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  5. They both look great. I admire both women, especially Meryl Streep. What can't she do?

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  6. At first I thought it was going to be a female version of Iron Man but I was wrong. :P

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  7. Both of these films are on my list. I find films that examine the history of certain people (especially women) to be extremely interesting.

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  8. I am really looking forward to both films, and curious about Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher. So difficult to portray someone that is still vivid in the memory of so many, even outside the UK. Really look forward to seeing Michelle Yeoh about a woman we should know more about. Putting politics aside, I applaud two films about two strong women.

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  9. @Luanne
    I also adore both Meryl and Broadbent (I will forever be in love with his role in MOULIN ROUGE).

    @Melsy
    I knew you would be the one to like this post :) I'm sure they were waiting for Meryl to find a gap in her schedule :) And, yes, she was great in MAMMA MIA even though the film itself was bad

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  10. @Medeia
    she is totally omnipotent :) Whenever you think she outdid herself and can't do anything more to impress us, she finds something even bigger that her previous work ;)

    @DWei
    no Iron Man at HOLLYWOOD SPY

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  11. @Clarissa
    I love that in books too, I usually read novels on the lives of great people from history

    @Fabo
    judging from the trailer, I think Meryl got under the skin of Thatcher :)And Michelle Yeoh is always so elegant and graceful.

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  12. Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh. Meryl Streep is my most favorite actress ever and Margaret Thatcher, well, she's just fascinating despite the shit she put Britain through :) Can't wait for this! I hope it doesn't delay getting to Greece.

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  13. Meryl Streep IMO is one of the best. She's definitely one of my most favorites. This is a movie I want to see!!

    And thanks, Dezmond, for being the first commenter on Arlee Bird's Wrote by Rote where I'm the guest.
    Ann Best, Author of In the Mirror, A Memoir of Shattered Secrets

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  14. @Jessica
    yep, with Meryl it has to be a great one. I'm sure it will hit Greek cinemas as soon as it hits American ones too :)

    @Ann
    be welcome, Ann, glad you like Meryl who really is the best actress in history!

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  15. The trailer looks good.

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  16. I've always liked Michelle Yeoh and I like the quirkiness of Besson's films. (The Fifth Element is one of my favorite.)

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  17. THE FIFTH ELEMENT really was something special, too bad it had Milla in the lead role, some other actress who knows how to act would've given a whole different vibe to that movie.

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  18. Two excellent choices.
    You're on spot today, Dez dear.

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  19. yes, we were a bit more serious today, than usual :)

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  20. Two great women in 2 amazing roles!! that's all I got to say for this.

    But...isn't the iron lady fatter than Streep?

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  21. nope, Thatcher was extremely thin.

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  22. Ah...I probably mixed her with the Queen's image

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