“Golda” is a biographical film directed by Oscar-winner Guy Nattiv. As Prime Minister, Golda Meir is faced with the overwhelming potential of Israel’s fall. During the 19 days of the Yom Kippur War in 1973, at the age of 75 Golda Mier must secretly go through cancer treatment and protect her country.
“Golda” gives you a never-before-seen look into the woman behind it all. Starring Helen Mirren, who is known for roles in “ Woman in Gold” and the Fast and Furious franchise goes through a complete makeover. With the help of world-class makeup and prosthetics, Helen Mirren has aged up and made the identical twin of Golda Meir.
The film starts strong with jaw-dropping camera work. The seamless transitions and weaving found footage give the film its creative aspects. Aside from that, the down-to-earth feel of the film keeps audiences engaged.
The pinnacle of the film is highly concentrated on an emotional scene of a mother facing the loss of her child. Even throughout the film, some metaphorical layers are added, such as Golda walking to her chemo treatment through a corps-filled hall of soldiers. As a documentary, it does a great job of displaying this character and event of world history, but it is not cinema.
Though there are some moments when you feel your heartbeat, the lack of a soundtrack makes the film empty. Without dynamic changes and a standard tone, adding a symphonic part to the score would elevate the film. All good movie aspects like great dialogue and other small details are in place, but there was a missing spark. Rather than making me reflect on my life and be inspired by this incredibly powerful story, it was more like watching a documentary that you are forced to think is cool because your teacher said so.
The film is targeted at a young adult audience but is rather more appealing to older audiences who might remember that period. “Golda” premiers on August 25th worldwide and is projected to gross around $1 million. It might have trouble at the box office as it is only rated 48% on the rotten tomatoes scare and premiers the same day as the anticipated “Gran Turismo.”
Whether it’s a lack of adrenaline or some other missing element, “Golda” did not fully do justice to this powerful story.