Streep in 'Iron Lady': Can we just call the 2011 Oscar race decided already?

[BigB08822]

I don't quite agree with that. There have been several actors/actresses that won as first time nominees. Hillary Swank, Gwyneth Paltrow, Adrian Brody are a few examples, and I am sure there are more.

Of course. I never said it was impossible to win. I was just pointing out that it can be hard to win as a first time nominee ESPECIALLY if you are young. If I had enough interest I would look up all nominees over the last 25 years, find out which ones were first time nominees and their ages at first nomination and find out A) how many won and B) average age of first win. I would also like to point out I am thinking in regards to Best Actress and not Supporting, as this is the category Meryl will be up for with the role in discussion.

[escaflowne9282]

Sorry. I loved Out of Africa and thought Meryl should have won the Oscar for her portrayal of Isac Dinnesan/Karen/Tania.

I don't know why, but I just cannot stand this movie. The cinematography is terrific, the soundtrack is gorgeous. I like Meryl Streep as an actress in general. But for some reason, I find the entire movie so trite and ridiculous. I had a similar reaction to The English Patient.

[soxxy]

I don't know why, but I just cannot stand this movie. The cinematography is terrific, the soundtrack is gorgeous. I like Meryl Streep as an actress in general. But for some reason, I find the entire movie so trite and ridiculous. I had a similar reaction to The English Patient.

Sydney Pollack directed Out of Africa and worked with Anthony Minghella on The English Patient, FWIW.

Both have passed away.

Re Streep, I've loved her since I saw her for the first time in Julia. She creates a memorable character in less than five minute's screen time. I knew she'd be a star!

[BigB08822]

Re Streep, I've loved her since I saw her for the first time in Julia. She creates a memorable character in less than five minute's screen time. I knew she'd be a star!

LOL! At first I was like, there is no way your first time seeing Streep was in Julia!? Then I saw the wink, hehe

[soxxy]

LOL! At first I was like, there is no way your first time seeing Streep was in Julia!? Then I saw the wink, hehe

Sure, wasn't Julia her first movie in the mid 70s? Her scenes were opposite Jane Fonda, Streep's character being a total bitch. I think the scenes are on youtube.

[BigB08822]

I thought you were referring to Julie and Julia.

[soxxy]

I thought you were referring to Julie and Julia.

No, I think I've seen all her 50-60 movies with the exception of Lemony Snickets (sp.?) I even saw Streep on stage in 1980 (!) playing Alice (in Wonderland). She was pure magic.

[Vash01]

I don't know why, but I just cannot stand this movie. The cinematography is terrific, the soundtrack is gorgeous. I like Meryl Streep as an actress in general. But for some reason, I find the entire movie so trite and ridiculous. I had a similar reaction to The English Patient.

We must have completely opposite taste in movies- LOL. I loved the English Patient (I know that many posters on fsu hated it, but I loved the artistry in it).

After I watched Out of Africa (years ago), I read books about Isaac Dinesan (Karen's pen name). The story is generally true, except that they made Redford's character American instead of British. It was interesting that after she lost everything, she was able to write great literature.

[Rex]

I don't know why, but I just cannot stand this movie. The cinematography is terrific, the soundtrack is gorgeous. I like Meryl Streep as an actress in general. But for some reason, I find the entire movie so trite and ridiculous. I had a similar reaction to The English Patient.

I am an admirer of Streep, but that doesn't mean I like everything she does. I won't get into why I hated this movie so much (although I did think that The English Patient was better) all over again. We've discussed it in other movie threads.

Personally, I don't like Streep in She Devil and in Death Becomes Her, she has some moments where she mugs terribly in both films. And I thought she was godawful in Julie & Julia - totally miscast as Julia Child. YMMV, but I thought her performance was overrated. It was more of an impersonation to me than a performance (similar to Will Smith's butchering of the title role in Ali). And she was totally not believable in the early days of Julia's marriage, when Julia was in her mid-30s. She looked her age throughout the entire flick. She was so much more relaxed and believable in It's Complicated, proving that with the right direction and script, she can do some comedy. But my fave Meryl Streep movies are Sophie's Choice, The Bridges of Madison County and Plenty. Honorable mention to The Devil Wears Prada, but once again, a performance loaded with too many mannerisms and tics.

[Japanfan]

And I thought she was godawful in Julie & Julia - totally miscast as Julia Child.

I didn't care for her performance as Child either, but don't know if it was because she was miscast. I thought the film's structure of two parallel stories didn't work really well and that each would have worked better' on its own. Because of this Streep didn't have much time to develop the character. Also, the script didn't give her much depth or range to work with - she was portrayed as a caricature - and the attempt to make her physically resemble child (i.e. shots that tried to make her look taller than she really was) were distracting. And the age was an issue as well.

Honorable mention to The Devil Wears Prada, but once again, a performance loaded with too many mannerisms and tics.

I didn't care much for that film but thought Streep was okay. I liked her better in the comedy where she played a psychiatrist whose patient was dating her son. However, in general I don't think Streep is a great comedic actress. She holds her own and has reinvented herself through comedy as an older actress, which is commendable. But comedy isn't her greatest strength.

[Beefcake]

Whee ...first snipplet of Streep as Iron Lady

Does Meryl seem ready to play up Maggie T's wicked sense of humor?

Accent! Go Meryl go.


Ugh, the reader comments. The expected Internet bickering has already started. Ahhh, politiks!

[soxxy]

Now that's a tease for sure. I hope the release date of January 2012 is wrong.

Eighties redux: Glenn Close is getting a lot of buzz for Albert Nobbs:

http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/07/06...-albert-nobbs/

[BigB08822]

Holy feck, Meryl! She is transformed. I am always in awe of her.

[orbitz]

Streep doesn't miss the mark.

That's a lofty statement that no actor can live up to. As long as Streep continues to make movies, she will come up with some winners and some losers. Have you forgotten stinkers like "She Devil" ?

[Beefcake]

Thinking that's "January 2012" for wide release, after a Christmastime Oscar-eligibility run in "select theatres"
(hopefully to include Arclight in LA! ).

[Artemis@BC]

The thought of Streep in August: Osage County is just to me. It was the best production of a play I've ever seen.

Hmm, I'm not so sure. It's an amazing play ... that doesn't mean it will make an amazing movie. So much of the dialogue is so stagey, I'm actually having a really hard time imagining it as a film.

I felt the same way about Doubt. The film performances were superb to be sure, but I thought it worked much, much better as a play. And that was local production with no superstar actors.

Ditto for The History Boys, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf, The Importance of Being Earnest ... I could go on. And don't get me started on War Horse (live action?? WTF??).

But I am excited about Iron Lady!

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Now that's a tease for sure. I hope the release date of January 2012 is wrong.

Eighties redux: Glenn Close is getting a lot of buzz for Albert Nobbs:

http://blog.moviefone.com/2011/07/06...-albert-nobbs/

Oh man, if both films and roles are well reviewed (and publicized), then it's going to be one hell of an Oscar race. I'm glad to see Glenn Close back in Oscar talk. It'd be something if Close can pull off an Oscar win in February 2012, then win a third Emmy for season 4 of Damages in the Emmy ceremony in September 2012. However, I would also like to see Streep win (if I feel she is deserving, of course) after being robbed by Bullock. Although I don't think Zeta-Jones winning for Chicago was a robbery, I thought Streep was more deserving for Adaptation.

[Rex]

I think Glenn Close is magnificent and was robbed at the Oscars every time she was nominated! She's not "Hollywood" and doesn't appear to campaign for awards.

In retrospect, Fatal Attraction was not the best film, but she made it sublime with her performance. Dangerous Liaisons WAS a great film and she really got ripped off that year too. I don't remember who she was up against for The World According to Garp and The Natural, but she was impressive in those too.

[BigB08822]

Streep doesn't campaign for the Oscars either.

[soxxy]

In retrospect, Fatal Attraction was not the best film, but she made it sublime with her performance. Dangerous Liaisons WAS a great film and she really got ripped off that year too. I don't remember who she was up against for The World According to Garp and The Natural, but she was impressive in those too.

I think Close's very best movie performance was in Dangerous Liaisons. Jodie Foster won that year for The Accused (Meryl Streep was nominated for A Cry in the Dark.)

Triva: Glenn has won three Tonys, but one of her earliest performances on Broadway was in the musical Rex.