Streets Of Gold (1986)
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31% of critics liked it
(13 reviews) -
47% of users liked it
(105 ratings)
Klaus Maria Brandauer stars in this drama as Alek Neuman, a one-time boxing champion in the Soviet Union. While he was one of the top-ranked Russian fighters of his day, he was never allowed to box in the Olympics, because the Soviets would not permit Jews to compete on their national teams. Many… More Klaus Maria Brandauer stars in this drama as Alek Neuman, a one-time boxing champion in the Soviet Union. While he was one of the top-ranked Russian fighters of his day, he was never allowed to box in the Olympics, because the Soviets would not permit Jews to compete on their national teams. Many years later, an elderly Alek is able to emigrate to the United States; he settles in the Brighton Beach section of Brooklyn, New York, where he makes ends meet as a dishwasher. Alek is depressed and starts sinking into alcoholism until he meets Timmy Boyle (Adrian Pasdar) and Roland Jenkins (Wesley Snipes), two up-and-coming amateur boxers. Alek thinks that the two young fighters have potential, and he offers to coach them. While Timmy and Roland aren't sure at first if they trust Alek (or each other), in time they grow to respect each other, and it looks as if they may make the United States Olympic team -- where they may fight against the Russian team that wouldn't accept Alek years before. Brandauer won critical acclaim for his performance in Streets of Gold, which also featured Wesley Snipes several years before his breakthrough role in Spike Lee's Mo' Better Blues. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Critic Reviews
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Variety Staff, Variety
A likable, but hardly compelling story.
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Vincent Canby, New York Times
A lot of the film was shot in Brighton Beach, and looks authentic, but everything else is either synthetic or derivative, like the musical score.
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Paul Attanasio, Washington Post
It's a wonder nobody had thought of casting Brandauer as a boxer before -- his work is so full of devilish feints and tricky, misleading expressions.
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Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
Streets of Gold starts out to make a statement about the kind of person this Russian emigre was, and it ends up using him as the backdrop for a tired Hollywood formula.
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Rita Kempley, Washington Post
A rousing ringside drama with Austrian hunk Klaus Maria Brandauer.
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Cast
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Klaus Maria Brandaueras Alek Neuman -
Adrian Pasdaras Timmy Boyle -
Wesley Snipesas Roland Jenkins
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Ángela Molinaas Elena Gitman -
Elya Baskinas Klebanov -
Rainbow Harvestas Brenda
