The Iron Lady
There were so many people at the Cinema Nova that day. As I was walking toward an empty seat in Cinema 2, I was surprised to see that the cinema hall was packed with moviegoers. A few minutes later, I was even more surprised to realize that the people sitting around me were all elderly seniors and veterans.
“Are you a fan of Meryl Streep?” I asked an old man sitting next to me.
“You bet, I am!” he replied and gave me a strange expression I couldn’t quite understand.
I loved Meryl Streep too. She always stole my heart whenever I watched her sing my favourite ABBA songs in the musical Mamma Mia. And now that she had just won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in The Iron Lady, I couldn’t wait to watch her new acting masterpiece as former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The critics said that the role was astonishing and flawless. Some claimed that her brilliance could overshadow the film itself. Yeah, maybe this film was all about Meryl Streep and her irresistible hairstyle. The people in this cinema hall might be having the same thoughts in their minds too.
As the film began to play on the cinema screen, my heart immediately sank when I watched an elderly Thatcher shopping alone at a convenience store. How sad. She went home talking to her (dead) husband and reminiscing the past. A series of flashbacks followed depicting historical events and defining moments in Mrs Thatcher’s life; her innocent years growing up in a working-class family, her love affairs and her blooming years in politics and power. But, in the end, it was her fragile days dealing with dementia and sleepless nights that truly caught my attention. It was her decision to finally come to terms with her husband’s death and let go of the past that poked my emotions.
It was not long after the credit was shown on the cinema screen that it began to hit me; this film was not about The Iron Lady going against all odds in the male-dominated world, and NO, it was also not about Meryl Streep trying out her impeccable British accent in order to win another Academy Award trophy. This film, ladies and gentlemen, was about one’s struggle to cope with loss, loneliness and nostalgia. It was about leading the right life and spending the remaining days of our retirement with life’s many marvels, not many regrets. I also began to understand why there were so many elderly men and women in the cinema hall that day. This film was also about their sad, lonely lives full of fond memories and heart-wrenching nostalgia.
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