GOLDEN VOICES
Israel, 2019, 88 minutes, Colour.
Maria Belkin, Vladimir Friedman, Uri Klauzner, Alexander Senderovich.
Directed by Evgeny Ruman.
This is something of a gentle entertainment for older audiences. And, the plotlines are quite unpredictable.
The opening explanation indicates that the Jews in the Soviet Union were able to leave after its collapse, from 1990, many making their way to Israel. For many, especially the older migrants, it was an uprooting from their way of life, their work, their language, having to learn Hebrew as Well Is find employment.
The golden voices of the title belong to Raya and Victor, both in their 60s, whose career has been in dubbing films for many decades. They are delighted to be in Israel, Victor photographing Raya at the plane, a relative finding them an apartment, their going to Hebrew classes to, hauntingly, say something about their day. And, it is the period of the Gulf War, Saddam Hussein aggressive, and they line up for their allotted gas masks.
The film immerses its audience in the atmosphere of Israel at the time, apartment blocks, interiors, the streets, the cinema, video shops, offices…
The central part of the film dramatises how Raya and Victor find some work. If this review so far has been tantalising and you would like to see the film, don’t read any further because there are spoilers (some spoilers you might not expect at all!).
For those reading on, Victor gets involved in illegal dubbing with a couple who run a store of illegal videos, films which they photograph secretly in the cinema, falling foul of the cinema owner.
Raya answers an advertisement in the paper, and finds that it is a phone sex operation – saying no, thinking it over, saying yes, really entering into the spirit of the calls for lonely Russian migrants. There is what turns out to be quite a delightful sequence when she agrees to meet one of the customers with gently unexpected consequences.
Two other things to add: Victor has a passion for Fellini, having a photo with the director from the Moscow Festival, 1963, promoting 8 ½ against Soviet censorship and the film winning the main award, and his dubbing Fellini’s Voices of the Moon in Israel. The other thing is that, during the screening, Saddam Hussein sends rockets on Israel, reminding us of reality along with the fantasies.
An entertainment for older audiences.
1. The title? The central couple and their career in dubbing films? And the irony of how they had to use their voices on migrating to Israel?
2. The information about Jews in Russia, the collapse of the Soviet Empire, possibilities for migration, migration to Israel? Russian language, learning Hebrew? Finding jobs and support?
3. Israel in 1990, migrants, settlements, the Gulf War, masks, fear of attacks, missiles?
4. The serious background of the film, yet the comic touches, tongue-in-cheek? The musical score?
5. Israel, homes and apartments, the streets, seedier areas, the phone sex office, the video store, the cinema?
6. Raya and Victor, in their 60s, no family, migrating at that age, the challenges, the photo of the plane? The relative, finding them an apartment, settling in? Going to Hebrew lessons, the teacher, people explaining their day in Hebrew?
7. Financial difficulties, advertisements, Raya making the phone call, visiting the office, the discovery of phone sex, her reaction, her return, the payment, the other women on the phone? The boss and encouragement? The name of Margarita? The phone calls, the first, tentative, getting into the role, the usual speil? The phone calls from Gera, his stuttering, radio making contact, drawing him out?
8. Victor, the video store, Dustin Hoffman, his knowing the lines, reciting them, the managers of the store, filming in the cinemas, the dubbing? Effective and ineffective? The proposal to Victor, his going to the cinema, the associate with the camera, a couple kissing in front, then making a success, Victor and his dubbing? The arrest in the cinema? The owner and his complaint? But letting Victor go?
9. The cinema manager, his proposal, to set up a cinema for the Russian migrants, the dubbing? Victor and his memories, the decades of dubbing, his story about Fellini, the photo with Fellini, Moscow Festival, 8 ½, Soviet censorship, Victor’s defence, 8 ½ winning the prize? Dubbing Fellini’s Voices of the Moon, the screening, Victor and his emotions?
10. The issue of the gas masks, the fear of Saddam Hussein, attacks? Raya leaving hers behind, Victor coming to the office, her rejection, the attack, the people in the cinema and their masks, his going to the office, Raya going to the cinema, his return, finding her, the reconciliation?
11. Victor, the sex phone call, Raya and Margarita, his disillusionment, the confrontation, her reaction, accusing him of controlling everything? Her leaving, being helped by the boss
at the phone sex office?
12. Gera and his call, wanting to meet Margarita, her eventually agreeing, his presence of the statue, with the bouquet, her watching from the restaurant? His wanting to go to the toilet, her saying he was a customer, their talking, their bonding, his driving her home, her eventually confessing, his stating that she had been sent by Margarita and his wanting to know what she would say about him? A genial episode?
13. The humanity of the story, the oddball situations, morally dubious? The unpredictability of the story? And the reconciliation?
