Submitted
Helen Mirren dominates every frame of director Guy Nattiv’s illuminating portrait of the former Prime Minister of Israel, Golda Meir. That’s a tough task when Mirren’s aristocratic hauteur, used to Oscar-winning effect in The Queen, is tamped down under tons of latex prosthetic makeup, an unappealing wig, utilitarian wardrobe, stooped posture, and constant haze of cigarette smoke.
Yet the genius of Mirren’s performance is that she nails Meir’s toughness, intimidating resolve, disconcerting Midwestern accent (Meir grew up in Milwaukee), and formidable ability to “read” and manipulate people: traits that disarmed many world leaders thinking they were dealing with a grandmotherly pushover. Nattiv and screenwriter Nicholas Martin eschew the standard childhood-to-deathbed biopic approach; instead they use The Queen’s gambit of exploring the subject’s personality through a key event, one which allows us to see many facets of the protagonist’s character.
In this case, the focus is the Yom Kippur War, the controversial 1973 conflict that helped create a specific identity for Golda Meir—and a developing Israel. Nattiv’s absorbing film (and Mirren’s naturally empathetic approach) help humanize a daunting, sometimes inscrutable figure, without sentimentalizing or softening the rough edges of Meir’s political actions. Martin’s script helps explicate the conflict without oversimplifying it, and the period atmosphere helps transport viewers into the tumultuous Cold War era.
There’s no on-screen violence but the impact of the war is palpable, never letting us forget that while Meir and her generals were playing chess with Egypt and Syria, it was the soldiers and civilians in the field who were the pawns. It’s a fascinating history lesson that also shows what a truly extraordinary, polarizing figure Golda Meir was.
Rated PG-13 for smoking and mature themes
100 Minutes