One Night in Istanbul

Hilarious times in Istanbul. What a film!!! What a night!!!

That magical night in Istanbul (Trademark-Clive Tyldesley) has now inspired two films relating to Liverpool's fifth European Cup win.

This is the second one. As a Liverpool supporter and being charitable I still have to admit it is not a good film.

It is worth watching for Samantha Womack's Scouse accent and to relive the events of the 2005 Champions League cup final.

Two cab drivers Tommy (Steve Waddington) and Gerry (Paul Barber) try to connect with their sons and embark to see the Champions league cup final in Istanbul.

They do a deal with a local gangster to raise finances and when they arrive in Istanbul they fall foul with some gangsters over there.

It all means that they might not actually get to see the match on the night.

On the night Liverpool were 3-0 down by half time before the Gerrard inspired comeback in the second half and a penalty shootout.

The plot is not much, the comedy is not great and some of the Scouse accents are dodgy.

There are a few cameos and you get to see footage of the match. That is a bonus unless you are an AC Milan fan.

Great fun, film about some mad Reds who don't get to see the game. Whole family had a ball watching it. Took me back to the greatest final I've ever seen. Hilarious moments, and a great theme song.

Paul Barber is one funny fella.

You don't have to be a Liverpool fan to enjoy this light-hearted caper, you don't even have to like football, based on the reaction of those around me. Paul Barber is a legend and everything he is involved in seems to turn to gold, I think he is a fine, under-estimated actor.

Although the film is about the Champions league Final in Istanbul in 2005 it is about the fans and the lengths they will go to to follow their team. It is about the passing down of this devotion from one generation to the next, as Tommy (Steve Waddington) and Gerry (Paul Barber) try to connect with their sons. Tommy 's own devotion having come from a strong bond with his granddad. The Liverpool fans are the twelfth man who through all adversity never gave up on their team and on their dreams. This is shown through the shenanigans of the boys and in parallel by footage of the actual fans in the stadium. All the stories, Hitlers Cufflinks, the lucky pants etc etc apparently came from the terraces. This is the fans story. It's British , it's funny , remember The Full Monty, Bend it Like Beckham, Brassed Off, well give it a go.

Everything from the crowd scenes to the plot is wooden. Like many football films you really don't believe that the scenes involve genuine fans but just the extras that they are. Doesn't convince you that this is a match day atmosphere, so poorly adapted for the big screen. Is a stage play and comes across like that. Shame as a decent idea and as a football fan was hoping for a lot more. Rather than humour is a lot of unbelievable daftness that doesn't work. Might work in a theatre but not here.

As football films go this is one of the worst. Not once are you convinced by the casts passion for football or excitement for the game ahead, similar to the screen adaption of Fever Pitch.