Meryl Streep is an international treasure, her versatility and her grace have charmed us for almost three decades. She has done about 74 films in her career and we bring to you the top 10 Meryl Streep movies.
1.Mamma Mia (2008)
This is a musical romantic comedy about a young girl Sofie (Amanda Seyfried) and her family prepping for her wedding, while she secretly invites three men who were her mother’s (Meryl Streep) lovers, hoping that one of them is her father. Meryl is as phenomenal as the soundtrack of this film.
2. Iron Lady (2011)
This is a biographical political drama based on the life of Margret Thatcher, who was the longest-serving prime minister of the United Kingdom and the first woman to hold office. Meryl plays Thacher and has effortlessly embodied her accent as well as demeanor. She did it so that she ended up winning an Oscar, BAFTA as well as a golden globe for her performance in this.
3. Laundermat(2019)
This film is about a widow trying to find answers from an insurance company leading her to the Panama papers scandal. This film is directed by Steven Soderbergh. Meryl showcases her range in this film from a timid widow to the disguised climax that no one even notices till it’s too late. It’s one of her best performances.
4. Julie & Julia (2009)
This is a biographical comedy-drama about the life of chef Julia Child in the early years of her culinary career intersecting with young new yorker Julie (Amy Adams) who aspires to cook all 524 recipes in Julia’s book.
Meryl once again works her magic on screen with charm and vulnerability intact.
5. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
Kramer vs. Kramer is about a custody battle between a young couple, Mr. Kramer is played by Dustin Hoffman who lets us in on the journey of a single father trying to do everything in his power to win his child back. Mrs. Kramer played by Streep who leaves her unhappy marriage behind with her son to start fresh. It’s extremely difficult to try to take your eyes off of Streep in this film, her ever-captivating presence eats up everything on the screen.
6. Sophie’s Choice (1982)
Sofie’s choice is about a holocaust survivor opening up to a young writer (Peter MacNicol) in New York. The writer slowly learns about her pre-war prosperity and how the holocaust changed that. Meryl’s performance in this film is brilliant.
7. Death Becomes Her (1992)
If you have not seen this cult film yet then I have got to ask how have you been living under a rock? It’s about a writer and an actress who hate each other for decades as they love the same man and are battling it out and the twist is an immortality elixir. This is the most fun film by Meryl and her equally talented co-star Goldie Hawn has helped give this film cult status.
8. The Post (2017)
Publisher Katharine (Streep) puts her career and her paper on the line to expose the pentagon papers scandal, directed by Steven Spielberg and Meryl’s co-star is Tom Hanks. These three artists have woven an extremely gripping story whilst being sensitive towards the treatment of the story. all characters are as vulnerable as they are powerful, Streep especially.
9. The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
A young journalist (Anne Hathway) joins the ruthless shark of the fashion industry as her assistant. You guessed it right the cynical shark is played by Meryl Streep. This is a masterpiece in every sense of the word. The film is entertaining and Streep plays a headstrong empress of the fashion world who is going through something of her own too. watching this film will make you feel like this role couldn’t have been played any better.
10. Doubt (2008)
Another film where Meryl is exposing a scandal, in this one she plays a nun who exposes a priest’s ambiguous relationship with a troubled boy.
Viola Davis and Streep carry this film with so much power and vulnerability. This is a must-watch film for Streep.
10 is a very small number to encapsulate the greatness of Meryl Streep, but if you are unfamiliar with her work then this is a good start.
Image Source – Google