The Martins (2001)

I didn't have hopes for this at all . Lee Evans is kind of like Jerry Lee Lewis cross bred with Norman Wisdom while Kathy Burke is a good actress but is type cast in roles as council estate scum so a film where they both appear as two down and out losers didn't strike me as a great film The opening scene opens with Mr Martin looking up at the sun telling his son that this time tomorrow they'll be going on a foreign holiday , the back drop disappears and you realise the characters are standing at a busy motorway junction . It's a clichéd scene but an amusing one . They go home and have a barbecue - By setting a couple of tyres on fire . Again this is very amusing but then everything starts to fall apart as Evans goes OTT and waves a gun around . There's many scenes like this where Evans and Burke and the supporting cast give either very humorous or very moving performances only to ruin it by suddenly spouting expletives , screaming or gurning . One moment you're about to enjoy this film then the next you're holding the remote wondering if it might be a good idea to see what's on the other sideSeveral people have commentated on the way THE MARTINS changes mood not only between scenes but during scenes too and it's impossible not to notice this . Yeah it's a comedy but what else is it trying to be ? Is it a bizarre romance ? A social drama ? certainly Evans and Burke do their best with the shaky material but writer/director Tony Grounds should have developed his idea a bit more before he shot the movie which is an ironic thing to say considering the number of scenes featuring a gun

This film is a great laugh and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I especially loved the slagging match in the car between Mr Martin and his mother-in-law, hilarious! Highly recommended!

WARNING-----------------------WARNING********************SPOILERS****************************** I saw this movie on sattalite last year and was bowled over.It's a funny and touching film about a family that live on a council estate and struggle to make ends meet.Lee Evans (mousehunt) plays the father of said family who is sick of not being able to even take his wife an kids on holiday,so he steals one.Watch it to know what i'm on about. It has some memroable quotes especially from Ray Winstone (Ripleys Game) Such as:"Why does your dad want a childrens entertainer,when he's already a f***ing clown himself?" Brilliant!!! All in all a great movie which I reccomend.

The Martins is a brilliant little film that although maybe is not as funny as you would hope from a Lee Evans movie is still superb for many other reasons. It is about a man who has been a faliure most of his life but still tries to do the best for his family who he loves very much. Everything he does turns sour , so one day he snaps and does the best for his family whatever the cost maybe. Lee evans and Kathy Burke are fantastic as the parents in this disfunctional family and you feel so much for them. Most people will sympathise with Evans's character even if he does have sex with his neighbour,tie up and steal from an old couple and threaten everyone with a gun!. I thought this was a nice movie that only adds to the growing reputation of the two leading actors .Sit back and enjoy. 8 out of 10.