From Tony Grounds, writer and director, also of that one-off special The Dinner Party (which has the main star in it), this isn't a bad black comedy drama about the loser family trying to get a better life. Before I start, I have to say when I saw the poster, I thought it was some kind of spy or action comedy, but never mind. Anway, basically Robert Martin (Lee Evans) enters almost any competition going with big prizes, and his latest attempt saw him towards the finals rounds, but an elderly quite well-off family won instead, Robert obviously blames the paper because they want to make interesting reading. Robert is now on a little bit of rampage with a gun, that he is looking after for a "mate", sticking it out to anyone who is ruining the chance to have a bit more of a better life, mostly for that "luxury holiday" he lost out on. This includes going to the competition runner Hatfield Recorder Editor (Paddy Considine), and of course, the "undeserved" winners Mr. (Frank Finlay) and Mrs. Heath (Barbara Leigh-Hunt) for their tickets. While Robert and the family, wife and mother Angie (Kathy Burke), her mother Anthea (Linda Bassett), and the kids, young son Little Bob (Eric Byrne) and 14-year-old pregnant Katie (Terri Dumont) head off for their stolen holiday, the police are receiving many calls about a man with a gun threatening a school teacher, the competition guy, stealing pet birds, and the elderly couple trapped in the basement. As Robert and family get closer to the holiday, him and Angie seem to be drifting apart, especially when admits to cheating, and she decides that he should leave after the holiday's over. They get there, and are all satisfied, apart from Robert, who is pretty broken with the thought of leaving afterwards. In the end, after Katie has her baby with Robert's help, he is arrested (falsely, well, apart from the gun stuff), a few months later he is released from prison, and it seems things go back to normal. Also starring Frank Finlay as Mr. Heath, Snatch's Lennie James as Police Constable Alex, Jack Shepherd as Detective Inspecter, Mark Strong as Doug, Lorraine Ashbourne as Lil, Tameka Empson as Mo, and a short but humorous appearance by Ray Winstone as Mr. Marvel. It is interesting to see Lee Evans playing a more human character, a family that swears almost as much as The Osbournes, a fun film with all the issues and similarity to a film by Mike Leigh, and a good mix of films Falling Down and The Pursuit of Happiness. Good!
Review of The Martins
