Escapist Fare

Istanbul is one last chance for glory for an over the hill alcohol-bloated former-action-God. But even with all its and his shortcomings this tale still plays well as an ersatz son-of-Casablanca, not the least because of the location shooting in Istanbul which gives it the kind of character you don't get on a studio set. Maybe the part of the amnesiac female lead would have been better served by an older actress because she and a visibly world-weary Flynn seem ill-matched. But that aside there's a desperate undercurrent to the story, perhaps fueled by Flynn's awareness that time was running out rapidly for him as a viable star, and I suppose the age difference also plays up the Bogart/Bergman nod. As a plus it has the great Nat King Cole, who is larger than life and perfect in his ex-pat musician sidekick role. So...Istanbul is not a great film, but a good effort that is a worthy part of the Errol Flynn canon, and one that should be seen before one arbitrarily dismisses end-of-the-line Flynn as a no-hoper. On the evidence here he still had some fuel in the tank and fire in the belly, and even second tier Flynn is still a pretty decent shot at old-fashioned daring-do.

[deleted]