not as good as all the hype

This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

On the face of it, THE LADY has a lot going for it. Filmed mostly in Thailand, it tells the story of Aung San Suu Kyi's (Michelle Yeoh's) progress from happily married homemaker in Oxford, England, to the leader of the democracy movement in Burma (Myanmar) imprisoned by the military for fifteen years. The transition is not an easy one: the authorities try to make Suu's life as difficult as possible, by denying her freedom of movement and preventing her husband Michael (David Thewlis) from visiting her in Burman, even when he is dying with prostate cancer. Yeoh delivers a first-rate performance; her face remains expressionless in public, especially while confronting the generals and their lackeys who try every single strategy they can think of to break her down. Luc Besson's direction is both taut yet hard- edged; his handling of the crowd-scenes is especially good, particularly in the sequence where Suu addresses a band of pro-democracy demonstrators, but does not see the authorities taking off some of the demonstrators to prison at the back of the gathering. The scene where Suu wins the election, and her supporters gather at the gates of her house, only to be repelled by gun-toting soldiers, is also memorable. Yet the film as a whole is let down by Rebecca Frayn's clunky script, which is notable for its clichéd scenes - as, for example, when younger son Kim Aris (Jonathan Raggett) crawls into his father's arms at their Oxford home and says "I miss mum." Frayn's characterization of Suu is perfunctory: we get little sense of why she became such a celebrated figure resisting the military dictatorship, or what her politics actually were. The script is far more concerned with revealing her enduring love for her husband. As a result the film tends to focus on the minutiae of their domestic life rather than explaining the niceties of Burmese politics. Maybe that was not Besson's intention, but it might have made for a more intriguing film.

With such a fascinating subject matter this movie would have been an interesting watch no matter who directed it but I think Luc Besson did a good job showing he is more than just an action thriller director. Of course there are some violent parts showing the brutality of the Military that are in your face and exciting as expected. He handled the private woman and her personal sacrifice and bravery in a tasteful manner.Michelle Yeoh does a brilliant job. It's a really good fit for her. She is good in both the intimate moments dealing with her family and in her dignified public persona. She deserves an acting nomination for her work. David Thewlis is well cast as a disheveled looking professor type.The subtitles are a major part of the movie with lots of dialog in Burmese. But it's still easy to follow the plot which doesn't jump around too much and is well laid out. It deserves a place among the better political true life movies. While not as dramatic or gut wrenching as "Cry Freedom" or "the Killing Fields", it still delivers a powerful message. Those interested can also watch "Beyond Rangoon" with Patricia Arquette which is a more adventure style portrayal of the events in Burma.Wish the movie could have shown more recent events including her recent release. Reminds us there is still a long way to go in Burma.Touching and a must watch.

The 1991 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi, is played wonderfully by Michelle Yeoh. I knew little about this famous person as I suspect many also didn't. The movie provides you with historical information you should be happy to learn. This kind of movie is a departure from what we are accustomed to see from director Luc Besson, and it is a pleasant discovery. Yeoh delivers a beautiful performance and so does Davis Thewlis, who plays her husband.The movie is a truly beautiful love story, one that touches on the human spirit as few movies do. It is inspirational, nothing less. You will be moved by the story. The movie depicts the life of a people under military dictatorship and how the whole nation rallies behind the person that was destined to lead it despite all odds. You are likely to be following Aung San Suu Kyi ongoing real life story from that point on, as she is still very much the people's leader today. I could not recommend this movie more strongly.

Although this film were not produced by the native people, it would never diminish its excellence; anyway, how can you rely on the Tyranny government release those film-makers and politic prisoners to produce this film? The lady by Yeong was well presented, behave properly to reflect the path of Lady, who was fighting all her life for freedom and democracy; it has been quite a long time since I felt excited and moved by a movie. The script itself of The Lady is quite attractive, the legendary life of Suu Kyi made us realize, there indeed exist some people, who can fight for the freedom of their country instead of focusing on their own benefits. Suu Kyi sacrificed a lot during her life, including a large part of her family life after marriage; but she still insisted regardless of the hardship in her arrest. Moreover, Miss Yeong also performed quite well and expressed the very exact characters of Suu Kyi in the film: love, patience, tolerance, artistic and calm. Perhaps it comes from her careful preparation for this film in the last 3 years. But the end of the movie is kind of abruptness, I don't quite catch its meaning; perhaps it can develop better. All in all, highly recommended! Excellent movie!