It's admirable to want to celebrate a country's influential figures, but director Guy Nattiv’s attempt to create a tribute to Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir (played by Helen Mirren) doesn’t quite reach its potential. The movie centers on Meir's response to the 1973 Yom Kippur War, a time when Israel faced near-defeat due to unexpected attacks from Egypt and Syria – actions largely motivated by their territorial losses in the 1967 Six-Day War and backed by the Soviet Union. What we get is a very detailed, straightforward depiction of the conflict, showing Meir's interactions with her military advisors and US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (Liev Schreiber). It’s true that understanding this historical backdrop helps set the scene for the drama, but considering the film’s title, one would expect it to prioritize the character of Golda Meir, presenting a biographical look at her life unfolding against the backdrop of wartime. Instead, because of its focus on the broader conflict, Meir feels more like a secondary player alongside numerous other characters involved in the war's events, particularly during the first portion of the film. There’s very little exploration of Meir as an individual; we learn next to nothing about her personality or how it shapes her decisions. The movie does pick up somewhat in its latter half, especially when it begins to show Meir’s story from a more personal angle. By then, however, the filmmaker has already lost much of his audience's interest in what the film could have been. Ultimately, viewers will likely leave knowing little more about this national hero during a time of crisis than they would find in standard historical accounts or documentaries. Helen Mirren and Liev Schreiber both give solid performances, immersing themselves in their roles and elevating the overall quality of the production—though not by much considering the film's fundamental shortcomings. The project seems to have been made with genuine sincerity, but it fails to meet the demands of its subject matter. It’s a disappointment, especially given who it intended to honor, which is probably why this movie will end up as just another forgettable release from late summer.

Source on TMDB