Will, on tour I am a football fan and a football club employee.
Usually, there are three types of films about football: either these are films about coaches and football players (“Gall”, “My Best Friend, General Vasily, Son of Joseph”, “Cursed United”), or these are films about hooligans (“Football Factory”, “Ultra”, “Hooligans of Green Street”), or these are films where football is present, but not the main one (“Garpastum”, “Vykrotasy”). This is the first film I've seen that tells the story of a simple fan going out. At the same time, I like all the above-mentioned films about football and many others, but this film is special for this reason.
The plot is very simple. In essence, it boils down to the departure of a little boy for his native club to the other end of Europe. First, it is told how it happened that the boy goes alone, and then - the actual departure. People unfamiliar with football trips and in general those who do not travel (it is not when on a trip, but when you do everything yourself, without travel agencies and others that interfere with normal rest organizations), may have the impression that the film is almost a fairy tale, since the boy is hopelessly lucky throughout the trip. But from my experience, I will say that, firstly, luck on a trip is a common thing, and secondly, not everywhere and lucky (for example, money was stolen, and then the ticket could not buy).
What's so fabulous about it? Passed the ship for free? Fans even have a word like this – “inscription”, that is, travel without tickets on any transport, in life and worse history happened, people from Moscow to Milan without a hundred rubles in their pocket reached, someone and further. Met an ex-footballer? I personally met former football players twice on the trains of my native Russian Railways. The man left everything and went to Istanbul with an unfamiliar child. Well, I'm not going to tell you about Istanbul, and a couple of stories from reliable sources, about how people met a fan who was going somewhere, threw everything and went with him for company - I know. It's plausible.
This movie is an anthem for going out! When you give up everything, your job, your studies, your family, your friends and go to hell to watch your favorite club play and support it. You are waiting for adventure, new acquaintances, perhaps danger. All the way out, then you freeze, then you starve, then you suffer from the heat, then you look for somewhere to sleep (sometimes you have to sleep at the station), you think that I did not sit at home, but at the same time you come home stably happy and then tell everyone about the experience for a long time. And the next day you think about where else to go.
After watching this movie, I just want to go out. The boy goes straight to the fan's heart. You’re worried about the whole movie. Besides him, all the characters were delighted. It’s rare to see a movie where there’s not a single negative character, because even the Bosnian cops who try to catch Will do it for his own good (well, at least from one point of view). The boy is a “pensioner” (Chelsea fan), Zukic, the loader is a Sarajevo fan, the Negro in Paris, the Frenchman is a friend of Zukic, even the speculator is all perfectly played and all very vital.
Separately, it is worth highlighting how fans are shown, because they are rarely shown as they are in the majority. Usually they are either stupid cattle or evil bullies. Of course, there are both the first and the second, but for the most part they are just like the Scousers in this film. Two moments were really good. The first was when the Bosnian cops failed to hand over Will, and in a very witty form, the second when they tipped off for a ticket. This is a true fan brotherhood, which distinguishes fans from ordinary fans and even more ordinary people.
So did the footballers. First, the very presence of Dalglish, Carragher and Gerard, and secondly, how they are presented. This is how footballers should treat their fans. That's right, not like some chip and Twitter fans.
In general, the film caused only bright and vivid emotions. I like movies that make you cry. But most often these are films about war or about any difficulties of life. And this film makes you cry with emotion, from the brightest feelings. If I were a woman, I would have burst into tears at the moment when the boy came out on the field and the stadium sang to him.
P.S. In the end, the fire at the stadium was very pleased. I didn’t think an English film could show that. And then Will came out on the field, they turn the camera, and there they burn the pyro. Believable! Very plausible!
10 out of 10