(SEE: Aung San Suu Kyi’s Path to Victory in James Natchwey’s photos)
The Lady also boasts a casting coup: Michelle Yeoh as Suu Kyi. Born in Malaysia to ethnic Chinese parents, Yeoh reigned for a quarter-century as the elegant doyenne of Chinese martial-arts movies (Jackie Chan’s Supercop 3 and Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). While executing killer kicks and dangerous stunts, she was from her earliest films a figure of grace and gravity. These attributes, combined with her physical resemblance to Suu Kyi and her ability to create drama within stillness, make Yeoh an ideal choice for the role. David Thewlis, the gifted English star who has ferociously illuminated the work of Mike Leigh (Naked) and J.K. Rowling (Remus Lupin in the Harry Potter series), plays Suu Kyi’s Scottish husband, the Oxford academic Michael Aris.