January
Books Read
The Cause Within You by Matthew Barnett
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Places Visited
Ikea at Milton Keynes
The Lyceum in London – The Lion King
Films Seen
Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
The Iron Lady
The Month In Bullets
- Got a HP Laptop to review which was really exciting – unfortunately it didn’t beat my MacBook so I’m still a MacGirl.
- I met up with an old school friend – I think I worked it out that I’d seen her three times in the past 5ish years since I left university but it could have been longer than that. We spent 3.5 hours chatting in Pizza Hut – I’m pretty sure that the waiters wanted to get rid of us but given that it wasn’t quite the dinner run and lunch had been over for a quite a while it wasn’t the end of the world for us just to sit and chat.
- I retook the plunge and set up a FB page for my blog again (having deleted it in a hasty moment). You can find it here – Like me while you’re there please.
- I’m working on tidying the house – I stood in the kitchen and cried at one point during January because I just felt like I was treading water against the tide – I think I still feel that way a bit but I’ve talked to Chris about the home stuff and to my manager about the work stuff and hopefully somewhere the two will meet and balance out a bit.
- I went to see The Lion King in London again – it was awesome.
- I ended up being tour guide for my little group (of 3) getting from Bedford to the restaurant where we were meeting for dinner – it was kinda exciting being in that position of responsibility lol.
- We went out for dinner with the Elders and Deacons from church – it’s Chris’s last one this year as he stepped down at Christmas. We went to Riverside Grill in Castle Quay which was really nice (but a bit pricey – nearly £40 for two of us – then again maybe I’m just used to a large pizza between three of us fro like £15 or something lol)
- Still working on losing weight – I’m around 72kg (I did weight myself one day in the bedroom rather than the bathroom and the carpet upset the scales – it was pretty cool weighing 71.2kg for a little while but then I figured I couldn’t pretend to be lighter lol.)
Before viewing, “The Iron Lady” with Meryl Streep, I didn’t really know much about Margaret Thatcher. I knew she was the prime minister of England for 11 years and that she was a very controversial figure and still is to this day. So I was really interested to see the film and I decided to visit the WGA screening.
Now let me begin by saying, Meryl Streep embodies Margaret Thatcher. She doesn’t just look like her, but she talks like her, her facial expressions are spot on. Meryl Streep becomes Margaret Thatcher. I would be shocked if she didn’t win an Oscar for this performance. The supporting cast is good too, Jim Broadbent gives an excellent performance, everyone is just great.
However aside from the top notch acting, the movie had a few flaws. The story was uninteresting at times, the flashback scenes were a bit muddled and a little confusing. The movie felt a little too safe, it tried too hardly, not to be controversial. Although I don’t entirely blame the film itself for that. Margaret Thatcher was such a decisive person, that whichever side the film picked, it would be criticized by a lot of people. I guess the film ultimately achieved the goal.
I also liked the movie did not dwell too much on the politics, but on the character of Margaret Thatcher. We see the human side of The Iron Lady herself, beyond all the partisan politics and rumors, we get to see a very personal and sad side of her. The subplot focusing on Thacther’s grief over her husband’s death, as the older version battles with hallucinations and an unwillingness to let go of her dear Denis are heartbreaking.
Overall the movie was really well done, but just shy of greatness. Meryl Streep’s performance and the supporting cast, truly elevates the film into a great biopic. Although I wished a little more time was spent on focusing on her political life, the movie successfully showed a deep and moving side of the prime minister. Which a lot of biopics fail to do. Whatever your opinions might be on Margaret Thatcher, don’t fault the movie because of the opinion. And I highly respect Phyllida LLoyd, Meryl Streep, Abi Morgan and others for trying to portray such a decisive and highly controversial figure.
Have a lovely day
Alexa
Hey Alexa
Thanks for your comment. Meryl did win the Oscar for this movie – she also won the BAFTA as well a few weeks earlier.
You’re right she does embody Margaret Thatcher very well.
Han
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