James Erskine’s film, which tells the story of England’s football team at Italia ’90, is primarily for the game’s nostalgic über-fans. It is based on Pete Davies’s book All Played Out, which some think is one of the best written about the game — and both book and film do tell a good story.
Reviled as "donkeys", the team set out for glory with little hope, despite the emblematic presence of Gazza (below) at his best. They did far better than the carping tabloids had ever suspected, falling only to West Germany in the semis in a penalty shoot-out. Gazza wasn’t the only one who cried.
Skilfully matching archive footage with the actual matches, Erskine creates a melodrama that suggests football was never the same again, hooligans and all. I doubt that, but we must allow for hyperbole. Ah, I remember it well.
One Night In Turin
Cert: 15
