The Martins

What a pleasant surprise: I was expecting some slapstick humour and a shallow comical view on a 'common' family. One of those leave-your-brains-behind movies that are occasionally worth a look when you've seen everything else. But don't be fooled, yes, it does have plenty of the slapstick variety but somehow The Martins manages to weave in a gripping and sometimes even intense drama packed with emotion and still keep you amused. It's something often attempted but rarely achieved.

Also, the performances were excellent without exception. I've never been that much of a Lee Evans fan but his performance was outstanding, every line delivered spot-on, even down to the way he moved his eyes, everything he did was in keeping with his character, surely he's into a new league now.

Also, the Director and Cinimatographer didn't self indulge themselves at the expence of the film which was refreshing considering the MTV style of film making that's popular these days. It felt like a mature hand at work here.

I wonder if this film will do as well as it should, because of the wrong impression the poster and trailer gives out. I would pitch this film as 'Dumb & Dummer' meets 'Nil by Mouth'. Basically it's like a peanut butter and jam sandwich, it seems like a stupid idea, but somehow it tastes great!

Having never even heard of this film before, I had no pre-conceived idea of what to expect when I saw it on TV last night. I was pleased to see Kathy Burke on screen again, playing her character with the usual mix of aggression and love.

Having only seen Lee Evans in supporting film roles (Something About Mary, Mousehunt), I was pleasantly surprised to see him tone down his stand-up persona, and give his character real credibility.

Having known many families such as the Martins, I can see this was a realistic portrayal of a family man on the breadline who wants something more for his family. I would certainly recommend this film to others.

Lee Evans puts in a superb performance as Bob Martin in this poignant black comedy, proving his comic talent transfers just as easily to the big screen. Kathy Burke also puts in a flawless performance as his long suffering wife.

The picture tells the story of a family we all know, from any council estate around England, neighbours from hell type stuff, and yet at the same time makes you identify with the plight of the main character as he struggles to make sense of his life.

There are some great visual gags as well as some genuinely funny lines and all the while you feel as though Evans is an almost psychotic who could snap at any moment.

If you liked The Parole Officer, I think you'll like this, although slightly darker, the comedy is on a par with Steve Coogan.

Robert Martin is unemployed, a bit of a geezer and always on the scrounge – whether it be benefits or entering every competition he sees. When he loses out on a dream holiday he believes he is due, he flips out and uses a mate's gun to get a bit of respect from those he feels have wronged him just because of who he is. While the police follow up a series of bizarre reports of gun crime involving a Chav, Robert also finds out that a mate is coming out of prison with the knowledge that Robert slept with his wife. The pressure to get any holiday and get out of town with his dysfunctional family gets to him.

Although it goes to extremes with the plot, this film is still an enjoyable look at a typically Chav family where you can hardly see the people past the shouting, drinking and generally antisocial behaviour. Grounds' script works well because he doesn't try to make us like them (because most of the UK don't) but he does enough with them to let us see them in good light and bad – both as products of their environments as well as causing their problems for themselves. This means the drama works well even though it is stretched at points by the action, because it is the characters that we are here for.

As such it is the performances from Evans and Burke that make it work so well. Viewers moaning about how they should be funny and how disappointing the two were have simply missed the point. It is their convincing portrayal of a Chav couple in love that makes it work so well; they allow their characters to be convincingly rough but also give room for believable soul-searching whether it is spoken or just in quiet moments. They work well together and individually. Without the thought the rest of the family are Chav clichés, albeit convincing clichés. The support cast are good enough to judge the couple without it being too heavy handed or judgemental. I can understand why viewers moan and complain about how it isn't funny enough, because they have just listened to the marketing department that pitched this as a trashy comedy, but trust me when I say that the performances drive this film and make it as engaging as it is.

Not the sort of thing that will travel well outside the UK but it is an effective drama that takes a fair and balanced look at a typical Chav family. Yes the plot has to go to extremes to move it all along but it is the characters where the film is and they are worth watching for not only because of how well written they are but also how good the serious work of Evans and Burke is.

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.