Muhannad Kalaji i was waiting for someone to make a movie about this very remarkable lady and finally it came through... the staring hero was an obvious though very good choice however there are somethings that the movie failed to achieve i believe:-we did not fall in love with the country in dispute (Burma)the movie hardly came up with any historical events/facts that would bring the audience to understand the place-beside the"lady" and her family there are hardly any other character that you could remember after the movie, we realize this is a biography but the struggle was not her's alone -the way that (Burma) was captured on Camera was just to emphasis the stereo type about Asians -the movie would have a spectacular ending if they waited for sometime as the hero of our story dose indeed forms a government after the military hands over the power to her-comparing the movie to other remarkable ladies biography such as (the Iron Lady) and (the Queen) we find that this one is the least of the others in terms of direction and productionMuhannad Kalaji

paul david 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!

David O'Mahony Whilst the film-making was not the best ever, it was MORE than good enough to convey to the viewer the awe-inspiring bravery, decency and humanity of Aung San Suu Kyi, her family and many supporters who suffered so much - including death.It was a heavy, profound watch.... if you don't tear-up at at least a couple of points on this one, you are made of steel!I disagree with another reviewer that the portrayal of the evil military mis-ruler was overdone and bordering on ridicule. I live in S.E. Asia, and i have observed those in uniforms and in possession of power, believe me it was spot-on. And lets face it, they were absolutely evil. The parallels with Richard Attenborough's "Gandhi" are definitely apparent, and the biggest surprise is how good Michelle Yeo is in the role! Enjoy.

DICK STEEL Based on the story by Rebecca Frayn, who had spent three years interviewing close confidantes of Aung San Suu Kyi, the narrative provides the points of view of both Suu Kyi herself, played by Michelle Yeoh, and her husband Michael Aris (David Thewlis), who because of her political awakening and development, caused plenty of emotionally painful, physical separation and time spent apart through her standing up for and accepting her countrymen's push for democratic leadership, after years of military rule from generalissimos Ne Win to Tan Shwe (Agga Poechit). It also presents different perspectives both within and outside of Burma as crises began to unfold with Suu Kyi a prisoner of her own home and country, and Michael being outside of it trying his best to sound out her, and Burma's plight. Then there's the sacrifice of family for country, where a breakup of the family unit was something inevitable in order to continue being there for her countrymen and not abandoning them at times of need.In a story spanning decades that moves forward and back in time, Besson has a solid hand in knowing the highlights of the many years history to translate for the big screen, going back to the 40s when Suu Kyi's father Aung San, a war and independence hero, got assassinated, right down to her emergence in politics as a force to be reckoned with, and her subsequent house arrest, right up to the recent 2007 rallies and demonstrations by monks that eventually led to a deadly crackdown. The Lady presents Besson an opportunity to move away from his relatively family friendly fare of late with the Arthur and the Invisibles series, and also to perform an about turn from the usual action flicks, for something a lot more serious in gravitas, and needless to say the importance of getting the film right in most, if not all counts, as much as a filmmaker can with the resources at his disposal.As such, some may feel that the film is relatively lightweight in its coverage of politics, although I must add that being confined to one's home in the prominent years of one's political life doesn't make for a smooth translation on screen, as there's only so much that one can do within the fantastic recreation of Suu Kyi's lakeside home. Instead a softer, more heartfelt approach through a love story opened up Suu Kyi as a character who's a lot more down to earth, than just a democracy icon. Besson's knack for handling strong female characters couldn't be more pronounced here, with plenty of opportunities in scenes to show she does not cower even with gun barrels pointed at her face, nor accept the constant nonsense dished out by the military might.Despite the lack of action, you can feel Luc Besson's release of glee in channeling that frustration to mocking the military top brass, from their deliberate big moments and silly gestures bordering on the comical, to their illogical superstitions, with characterization being very much in line with our esteemed ex Minister Mentor's comments in WikiLeaks. Almost all generalissimos and their underlings are ridiculously decorated, and make extremely naive calls as if nobody can see through their simple rouse. It's a story of grace versus guns, which in any other typical Besson movie it's no surprise if it comes with preference for the latter, except for The Lady which trades in for the softer power approach. Michelle Yeoh lost quite a lot of weight in order to physically resemble the lead role, and her time spent on researching Suu Kyi was time well spent as she nailed her mimicry down to a pat. Even her lines spoken in Burmese were flawless. Not that I can understand the language, but the large percentage of Burmese audience that I've watched this with were nodding and acknowledging her diction and fluency, as well as her performance of the real life heroine of their lives. In short, they were in awe by her elegance and poise in making Suu Kyi come alive on screen. David Thewlis also shone in his role as the husband standing firmly behind her decision and to make sacrifices knowingly for the greater good, for the benefit of even more people in a country that needs his wife more than he needs her. Together they made their struggle felt, and will seek to move even the most stoic of hearts. And the actors who played the Burmese generals, you guys surely hammed it up effortlessly.This superb film may be travelling the festival and commercial theatrical circuits now, and will probably pick up a slew of film awards along the way. But what's more important and I'm sure it'll achieve, is to bring the attention of the world towards Suu Kyi's, and Burma's continued plight that seemed to be with no end in sight. You may not be very familiar with what may have transpired over the decades of strife in Burma, but The Lady brings you up to speed with a succinctly packed historical lesson centered around one of the world's enduring icons of freedom and democracy. A definite recommendation for this wonderful effort.