ACTRESS Meryl Streep has drawn rave reviews for her uncanny portrayal of Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady.

Already being hailed as an Oscarwinning performance, Streep’s role as the former PM overshadows that of Ammanford’s Alex Roach, memorably cast as the young Thatcher.

But it is a breakthrough performance by this hugely talented young actress.

So what of the film itself, which has aroused considerable controversy over its sympathetic portrayal of arguably the most divisive leader in modern British political history?

Well, The Iron Lady is extremely well done with a number of powerful and moving scenes.

But it is also about as historically accurate as James Cameron’s Titanic.

In The Iron Lady, Thatcher’s car is seen surrounded by striking miners who pound furiously on her car roof.

This scene is pure fiction – and the cinema audience is never given an insight into the cause of the despair Thatcher’s policies triggered in places like the Amman Valley.

One aspect which is portrayed well is how her domineering style eventually alienated even her closest allies.

But the notion of Thatcher as some sort of feminist icon is laughable. Her views on motherhood were prehistoric – and how many women served in her Cabinet?

The Iron Lady is in many ways a fine and entertaining film – just don’t go along expecting it to be historically accurate.