The movie, The Iron Lady, about Margaret Thatcher, prime minister of Britain from 1979 to 1990, starring Meryl Streep, is worth watching for a number of reasons. One is the opportunity to refresh our minds about a major figure of recent history and her influence upon those times. Another is to watch Streep’s performance in the role. She loses herself behind a helmet of hair, false teeth, and piles of make-up to become — brilliantly — Mrs. Thatcher.

Yet another reason — and for me the most compelling one, though it is quite controversial — is the decision to tell the story from the perspective of Mrs. Thatcher’s current dementia. Continue reading →