Valerie Harper – best known as Mary Tyler Moore’s friend Rhoda – shows off her dramatic skills in the cinematic adaptation of William Gibson’s long-running one-woman play, “Golda’s Balcony.” The play follows Golda Meir’s retelling of her life and the perilous times in Israel’s history that led to some dangerous, desperate and occasionally almost apocalyptic decisions that she had to make in its defense.

Needless to say, the writing of what has been the longest running one-woman show on Broadway is extremely moving, and Harper breathes life into Meir and the overwhelming personal and political decisions she had to make. The adaptation to the screen does lack, however, especially because of the overuse of green screen.

In the end, this is still an amazingly moving experience that is not afraid to question and even criticize the architects of Israel and ultimately closes with a message of hope for peace.

Grade: B-

Golda’s Balcony releases in select theaters Oct. 19.