Car Trouble

Julie Walters, who has gone on to bigger (well, more publicized) and better things, stars as a neglected housewife of an air controller. His new car is the focus of his life. He will not let her touch the bright red machine, but one day she takes it for a "spin." Trouble ensues, including two hilarious instances with a car salesman where they become a bit too "amorous" in the car. The ending fails to supply the climax most of the audience would want, but is nonetheless enjoyable. I would give this four out of five stars simply for the situations depicted. It's no classic, but certainly a lot of fun. Walters is as manic as usual. If you have a chance, see her in "Dinner Ladies," a British comedy series in which she plays the dissolute mother of the star (who also wrote the series). In Dinner Ladies she's neither classy or beautiful, but simply hilarious.

If you think it's boring listening to women talking about clothes you've never been with a bunch of blokes discussing cars.

There was a hilariously nightmarish scene in 'A Shot in the Dark' when Peter Sellers and Elke Sommer got stuck stark naked in the Parisian rush hour traffic. After a slow start this film picks up when Julie Walters (cutting quite a formidable figure in lipstick, eyeliner and big frizzy hair) finds herself in an even worse scrape in this old-fashioned sex comedy which within five years gained considerable poignancy as one of the very few films to star Ian Charleson, subsequently 'outed' by dying of AIDS. Mind you, it's highly improbable that Walters would have married such a nerd in the first place.

From the moment Gerald buys his dream car, his nightmares begin. Worrying about his wife getting a powdery residue on the dashboard while cleaning it, her total misunderstanding the difference between a cigar lighter and a radio knob, are the least of his concerns as she proceeds to wreck havoc with the ill-fated Jaguar. This movie might require several viewings to catch all of the subtle humor. In fact, it actually gets better with multiple viewings. His descent into insanity is well justified as theirs is the ultimate marriage heading for disaster. Only "War of the Roses" could perhaps surpass the wonderful dark humor of "Car Trouble". Highly recommended and a solid 10.0. - MERK

What on earth were Ian Charleson and Julie Walters thinking when they signed on for this piece of sub-Carry On drivel? Perhaps the script looked different, or maybe the paycheck silenced all doubts. Whatever, this would have to be the most desperate, telegraphed (not to mention medically impossible) one trick pony I have ever seen involving a prodigal waste of otherwise reliable comic talent. If this film were a car, it would be a Morris Marina

I think you have to have a certain warped sense of humour to enjoy this! Julie Walters plays a bored wife who seeks a bit of excitement in a car salesman bit of rough after several years of marriage to the boring Gerald (Ian Charleson, on pretty good form in a film he seems to have been proud of). There is a rather intriguing twist in how horny wife and horny salesman get found out (!).

'Car Trouble' is funny in fits and starts but it really does go too far in places. It is hardly a British classic (although it has now made its appearance on budget DVD in the UK) but if you like that kind of thing, it does mindless comedy pretty well. Interestingly, Walters and Charleson were working together on stage in Sam Shepard's 'Fool for Love' around the same time as this was made so this was probably just a daft sideline for them.