The Martins

This portrait of a deadbeat family is much more touching than I expected. Complaints that it crosses "genres" seem to me to be pointless. Its weakness is the plot...its strength is the pairing of Lee Evans and Kathy Burke; I have always that one of the strengths of Evans' loveable-nitwit stand-up routine is the charge of anger which runs through it. In The Martins he gives the anger free rein with scary effect. On the other hand, are we to believe in a man who can tie up two old people and leave them, for all he knows, to die of thirst and hunger in a cellar, yet will not raise a hand to defend himself against his righteously angry wife? It doesn't quite add up. But it's a really enjoyable and moving film with a life-affirming message, brought home most strongly in the wonderful childbirth scene. At least this movie challenges us to think about how little value we attach to people whom we perceive as too poor, stupid or ugly to be noticed.

I really don't know why so many of you people have slammed this film, because personally I thought it was one of the best British films to come out in the last twelve months, besides Bridget Jones. The story line was really good and if some of you were real movie critics then you would understand the plot. Robert Martin is just like a lot of out of work men living in a run down council estate living on nothing but what the government pays them. Teenage daughter who is pregnant just like a lot of teenage girls around this country and a quiet normal ten yr old boy who gets bullied at school.

Kathy Burke and Lee Evans I thought played their characters really well and I just wish that Tony Grounds makes this film as a T.V Series because I thought it was a classy drama with a slice of humour in it.

I HIGHLY RECOMEND THIS FILM TO ANYONE WHO CARES ENOUGH ABOUT WORKING CLASS FAMILIES AND THE STRUGGLES WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH. 9/10.

After hearing everyone bad mouth this movie, I went into it thinking that it was bad. But I came out thinking that it was good.

The movie really made me think that all you really need in life is your family. You dont need everything else everyone has. You only need what you have to live.

Slammed by the critics, The Martin's never really had a chance. Simple.

However, being a heuge fan of Lee Evans, i went along anyway, and thoroughly enjoyed my visit to the cinema. The Martins has flawless performances throughout, and while being cheap, and to be honest, very badly written, it still provides enough laughs to keep you in your seat.

Lee Evans never gets the opportunity to truly show his comic genius, but does do his job well enough to keep fans entertained. And as British as he is, he really should be given the opportunity to take on some more roles in Hollywood, and be given more screen time than his previous well received efforts, such as in Mouse Hunt, and The Fifth Element. The Martin's is not great, but certainly worth a watch. 5/10.................................................................

GYKO

i thought that although the film maybe a little too small for the cinema along with births deaths and marriages this is a gem i thought the acting superb by all concerned and the small cameo from ray winstone was hilarious people forget what a good comic actor he is . i remember him in GET BACK the tv sitcom also starring a young kate winslet. i like the way tony grounds mixes pathos and bathos in equal measure. just one thing though, does tony grounds have a thing about schoolteachers it seems to have a reccurring themes in most of his work to summarise i would reccommend this more on video than at the cinema but i am sure it will be on tv soon