Golda

I wanted to see this movie as soon as I saw a trailer for it, and I decided to see it on Sunday because that's when the local movie house has a matinee. I'm not sure whether the word "ironically" applies, but funnily enough, it happened to be Yom Kippur, or a couple hours short of it (it started at sunset; the matinee was at 4 p.m.) and, don'tchaknow, the movie portrays Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir's handling of the Yom Kippur War, about this time 50 years ago.

Helen Mirren has the lead role, expertly portraying a grandma who led her country through a crisis regarding its very survival, who remained outwardly calm (mostly) while imploding inwardly under the pressure. Another remarkable thing about the lady, as this movie portrays her, is that she took the heat for bad decisions other people made behind her back, in order to protect her nation's interests such as a secret eavesdropping system and the ability to manipulate Henry Kissinger into sending vital material support.

I don't know from the other members of the cast except Liev Schreiber, who inhabits Kissinger. I do know some of the other characters in the movie by name, such as Moshe Dayan and Ariel Sharon, but it looks like a lot of the cast is Israeli and that's all right with me. I was also interested by the fact that the camera-facing characters all speak English while the radio chatter and news footage is all in Hebrew, subtitled, a compromise between reality and the fact that this movie was made for American audiences. Another intriguing thing is the movie's use of historic footage, including the originals as themselves – from Nixon, Carter and Sadat, who are otherwise not portrayed in the movie, to Kissinger and Meir themselves. It's neat to see that the movie isn't abashed by the differences in looks between the real Golda and the actress playing her.

I must make haste to deliver the Three Scenes That Made It For Me, and get outta here. (1) The phone call during which Golda scares the daylights out of Kissinger. Frail as she was at times – the movie also graphically depicts the toll the war took on her nerves, not to mention her lungs – she was one tough lady. (2) "Arik" Sharon stealing a slice of cake before he leaves Golda's house. (3) The beginning of the closing credits, in which (music nerd that I am) I recognized a string arrangement of Dido's Lament, from Henry Purcell's baroque-era opera, Dido and Aeneas. The original words to that melody are very appropriate given the movie's ending: "When I am laid in earth, may my wrongs create no trouble in thy breast. Remember me, but ah! forget my fate!"

One bonus observation about this movie: Apparently, the key to bringing the historical era of 1973 to life on film is to have someone lighting a cigarette in practically every shot. This movie makes it a major visual and audible theme, yet somehow without glamorizing it. Golda lights countless cigarettes during this movie; the sound of her lighter striking fire, the plumes of smoke, cigarettes in various stages of being smoked, ashtrays overflowing with crushed butts, are all but constantly in the frame or the soundtrack thereof. Once, Golda actually uses an ashtray to gavel a meeting to order. The cost of all this smoking also comes into the tale, figuring in it right up to the last scene.