As a Fenerbahçe fan, I was genuinely excited for this film - but the screenplay left me absolutely stunned, and not in a good way. The film is fragmented, difficult to follow, and ultimately quite dull. My expectation from a biographical film is to see the defining moments of the subject's life, the events that shaped their country or the world around them. Of course, their personal life is a part of that, but I cannot understand why a character who holds no historical significance received more screen time than the 1954 World Cup itself.
Sadly, Lefter's private life - much of which is clearly a projection of the screenwriter's imagination - overshadows everything else. Turkey has only participated in the World Cup twice in its entire history, and the first appearance, led by Lefter's generation, could have been a powerful opportunity to highlight national pride and to transition naturally into the 6-7 September events. Yet instead of exploring the life of a significant Greek figure who became an important part of Turkish sports history, we spent 45 minutes watching a love triangle.
It's baffling that the writers chose this direction, especially considering the director's previous historical works, which demonstrated a strong ability to portray meaningful narratives. Here, the script is beyond disappointing - it's a complete misfire that glosses over major events which should have been central to the film. With such wasted potential, one wonders if the filmmakers would have been better off marketing this as a romantic drama titled "A Football Story" rather than calling it Lefter's biography.
In the end, the strong cast, decent performances, and respectable production quality keep the film barely watchable. But the writing is a disaster, and the lack of focus on Lefter's true legacy makes it a deeply frustrating experience.
