The Lady (2012)

Terrible acting, screenplay and direction.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

"The Lady" is a very unusual movie if you take a look at Michelle Yeoh's list of movies, especially compared to the movies she stars in at the Asian cinema.With that being said, don't get me wrong. I am not saying that it is a bad thing. Just bear in mind that you will not be in for the usual fast-paced action that she is known for in her movies. This movie portrays a more mature and serious side of Michelle Yeoh's acting talent, and she nails it to perfection, proving that she is so much more than just an action heroine.The story in "The Lady" is based on the real events and life of Aung San Suu Kyi, for better or worse. And it is a story that appeals mostly to a mature audience who have an interest in world affairs and politics. I am not overly fond of such and found the story to be somewhat slow paced and dragging on at times. However, it is still a good story and a story that definitely was worth being told to a broad audience.Michelle Yeoh was really well cast for this role, and I was particularly impressed with how she was able to shed her action skin and branch out into a more mature field of acting."The Lady" is a movie that sticks with you for some time after you have watched it, and take the time to let it sink it, because it is really an emotional story.The cinematography in the movie was quite good, and at times it sort of felt like you were right there in the midst of all the turmoil and chaos.I am rating "The Lady" a score of seven stars out of ten.

This is a biopic from Luc Besson about Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi (Michelle Yeoh). Michael Aris (David Thewlis) is her British husband.It's rather long at over 2 hours. I don't think it's necessary. There are many scenes that are too long and too slow. Don't get me wrong. She's an important person, and this is an important story. But it's not done in a dramatic fashion. And truth be told, house arrest is not the most dramatic situation. Her husband holds the key to this movie. Their love story is the basis of any drama in this movie. However they are separated for most of this movie. It is a horrible way to shoot a love story. Great story. Important history. No drama.

As a producer, Luc Besson has been comfortably established in the action cinema for many years. However, as a director, we have been seeing him since 2005 working in such diverse genres as the romantic comedy (Angel-A), the fantasy (Les Aventures Extraordinaires d'Adèle Blanc-Sec) and the digital animation (the Arthur and the Minimoys saga)...with quite poor results. In his most recent film as a director, The Lady, Besson goes back to the historical biopic genre (which he had already explored in the excellent The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc) in order to focus his attention on another brave woman who contributed to the liberation of a Nation. The result is mediocre, but moderately interesting in general.The events portrayed in The Lady are fascinating, but they aren't easily adapted to the classical dramatic structures of cinema, and that makes the film a bit fragmented and occasionally dull. At the same time the films examines Aung San Suu Kyi as a reluctant political figure, we also have glimpses to the democratic movement in Burma (also known as Myanmar); to the domestic policy of the Nobel Prize Committee; to Michael Aris' complicated family life, raising two teenage sons during the mother's (Suu Kyi) absence; and to the corrupt military leaders from Burma, deciding the life or death of political prisoners through chance and superstition. Sure, all those divergent aspects are necessary in order to comprehend Suu Kyi's democratic crusade; and I also appreciate the fact that screenwriter Rebecca Frayn didn't simplify the story in order to make the film more commercial; but I also feel that there should have been a better defined dramatic arc, which integrated those divergent elements into a faithful and dramatically solid whole.Another problem I found in The Lady is that its story doesn't end, because Suu Kyi's work in Burma hasn't finished either, and as a consequence, the ending doesn't reach the dramatic climax I had been waiting for. In any case, we were handed that climax in little increments through the film. Nevertheless, despite being mediocre, The Lady managed to keep me moderately interested (with the exception of a few dull moments), and I think that that fact, along with the brilliant cinematography and the solid performances from Michelle Yeoh and David Thewlis, are enough to make it worthy of a slight recommendation.

Nobody should criticise the drama directing or entertainment value of a film like this which offers an intimate insight into the struggle of one human being to fulfil a humanitarian cause for her country, Mynanmar.Quite by chance, I watched WE yesterday, another love story with a twist directed by Madonna. As for the Lady, both Michelle Yeogh and David Threwlis are excellent throughout in the two leading roles. the film is as much about their devotion to their each other as it is to the cause of Burma (or Mynanmar if you like).What disappointed me was that there was no translation for whenever Burmese was spoken in the movie and so I had no idea what was being said. furthermore, the end credits were in French and I could not understand them either.Considering the political nature of the movie and the profile of the woman in focus, I thought it was a surprisingly unpolitical film and the Burmese Generals came across as a bunch of puffs who had no idea to connect with the people they ruled and controlled.I also agree that the ending was rushed after Mikeys death and more time could have been spent to balance the story to the present day but that is the directors prerogative and I am not criticising in any way.I remember the Ghandi movie and as much as I liked this movie, sorry, the overall quality of this movie cannot be compared to Ghandi.Terrific film, have a few hankies at the ready and be ready to grab a hand or two when things taken a sudden turn!