The Interrogation of Tony Martin (2018 TV Movie) User Reviews

Interesting and accurate, but unable to really get under the skin of Martin

[wellthatswhatithinkanyway · 7/10 · 21 November 2018]

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning

In August 1999, Norfolk farmer Tony Martin (played here by Steve Pemberton) was arrested and interviewed under caution, after a teenage burglar was shot dead at his home, Bleak House, an isolated, remote farmhouse, which had been the subject of numourous other break ins over a long period of time. DC Peters (Daniel Mays) and DS Newton (Stuart Graham) are left to contend with this curious, eccentric individual in the interrogation room, a man who behaves and reacts in a way they are unable to comprehend.

It's hard to believe it's been nearly twenty years since the Tony Martin saga first unfolded, and the nationwide uproar it inspired, calling into question the rights of homeowners to defend their property. I, for one, still regard the whole thing as one of the greatest travesties of justice this country has ever known, and another disturbing, enraging example of the establishment making a pariah of 'the local weirdo', someone they're too ignorant and uninformed to try and bother to understand, and hang out to dry in a disgusting attempt to boost their arrest and conviction rate (Christopher Jeffries being another prime example!), something I feel I've been a victim of in some way or another over the years.

This one off TV drama from director David Nath focuses on Martin's interrogation following his arrest, and so in itself makes for a kind of cynical, voyeuristic experiment, being that the primary focus of our attention is meant to be on how odd and unconventional this man ('freak') is (or else why not anyone else's interrogation???) While it's convincing in it's word for word, verbatim recreation of the interview, in the space of just an hour (with ad breaks in between!) it can't really get under the skin of Martin any more than this, and so just plays out pretty straightforwardly.

It concludes with none other than the real life Tony Martin returning to his old home, now all boarded up, for the first time since the 'crime.' While his attitude to the dead boy is pretty cold and unsympathetic, this will be perfectly understandable to most people. I would defy anyone to have reacted differently in his situation, and the whole arrest, interrogation, conviction and incarceration of this man is a stain on this country's national character. He's well played by Pemberton for the first half, and while it's constrained to what it can do, it still makes for interesting and informative viewing. ***

Police doing their duty?

[stephenbells · 8/10 · 24 November 2018]

It's very easy to criticise the police and the authorities in a case like this. I remember this happening and it's hard to believe it was almost 20 years ago. The public had a lot of symphathy for Tony Martin and quite rightly I feel, but every case has to be judged on the facts so I don't blame the police or the judicial system for doing what had to be done. Imagine a similar scenario if someone shot at a couple of young lads for scrumping apples for example, ok they shouldn't have done it but the public's opinion would Have been completely different so it's quite right that each case should be investigated,but it's terrible that things have to come to this of course.

I remember this well

[mandihoward-69776 · 8/10 · 12 July 2023]

I remember this happening over 20 years ago, remembering all the controvesy that went along with it. You had those who saw him as the villian and the majority of the British who thought of him as I hero. I remember feeling really sorry for him & thought the guilty verdict and prison term was far too harsh. In fact during the whole documentary I was still on Tony Martins side right until the very end!

In the last 5 minutes or so, we see the real Tony Martin return to Bleak House, which is all boarded up, Tony states that he hadn't returned there since that fatal night. Some of the things he said to the interviewer & the way he said them made me feel quite angry towards him, especially knowing he had taken the life of a young 16 year old lad. I honestly didnt like his attitude one bit. Within a short few minutes of hearing Tony speaking his own words my opinion has changed, it done a total 180. He has gone from hero to Villian in my books and I'm most possibly in the minority with this complete change in my view on him, well so be it. Speaking at the end hasn't done himself any favours but that's my opinion,It's up to you to judge for yourselves!

Steve Pemberton shines in a riveting dramatization of a grave injustice

[The-Last-Prydonian · 9/10 · 8 November 2023]

A drama that uses genuine police transcripts this dramatization recounts the interrogation of Tony Martin. The man was questioned by the constabulary after he shot and killed a 16-year-old burglar who broke into his home in 1999. It's a story that undeniably divided a nation over whether he should have been charged and imprisoned for murder. Needless to say from the off, given that the talented and highly accomplished actor Steve Pemberton portrays Martin, from off you're on to a good thing. He delivers the kind of compelling and nuanced performance that I have come to expect from the man, whose work in The League of Gentlemen, Psychoville, and Inside No.9 has made me a fan and admirer of him as a talent. He manages to dig deep into the vulnerability of the man, who due to a past trauma in childhood now lives an isolated existence in his rural farmhouse.

Needless to say in regard to the incident itself, it has struck me as a travesty of justice, that a man who himself had been a victim himself. And that I find it shocking that there are people who to this day condemn the man for his actions. And detractors of this drama see it as some kind of cynical, manipulation to portray him as such, which really doesn't sit well with me at all. One wonders what would be so critical of him in his actions had he been a family man, who had a wife and child in his home. I think it is unlikely that they would be, or perhaps I put too much faith in the common sense of some people. If this one-off TV drama does anything it shines a light on a man, who was clearly an emotionally and mentally damaged man, who reacted quite rightfully not merely due to his past circumstances, but anyone I think should if anyone illegally encroaches on their property. And what's worse is that the public perception became something of him being the local weirdo, that deserved what he had coming to him. Particularly after his farmhouse had already been broken into several times before.

If anything though, it did call into question the issue of whether or not a person had the right to defend their property, although the even more pertinent question may be themselves. As for Martin may or may not known, that the perpetrators of the attempted robbery of his home may have been armed themselves, or just physically attacked him. The fact that a sixteen-year-old boy was among them is of no consequence, and the blame for his death should rest on those who were responsible for his involvement in the attempted burglary. Given as well that it was dark, and presumably Martin had no clear way of discerning the age of the youth.

It's rounded off by featuring the real Tony Martin himself visiting his former home, which has now been all boarded up and essentially left to rot. He shows no clear remorse, and neither do I feel he should. The overly idealisitc, do-gooders who call him a narcissist as if he is some kind of psychopath because he did, what anyone I think should rightly do when protecting their home as well as their well-being, displays to me a clear lack of empathy for their part which is borderline psychotic in of itself. No doubt those who vilify Martin would take exception to such a description of their insensitivity, but then a spade has to be called a spade.

As a piece of television drama, The Interrogation of Tony Martin is riveting must-see viewing, which is anchored by a phenomenal central performance from Pemberton, and dramatizes a grave injustice that is punctuated by Martin's words on the matter. While in prison he asked a young man convicted of burglary why he asked why he broke into people's houses. He said, "Well that's the way things are". Martin's response was "Bang!" and when the young man asked what's this all about, Martin responded with "That's the way things are, boy."

Genius - I was nearly so disappointed

[amycrankshaw-31615 · 9/10 · 22 July 2023]

This is a very clever short film. So clever that I thought this was rushed ant the end until the last scene. Definitely a case of less is more for this one.

They could have done a longer more detailed dramatisation of the interviews, they didn't, or recreated the scene, they didn't. Or tell us what actually happened on that day, they didn't. Instead they carefully selected the parts which if you know, you know tell us what an entitled, low empathy narcissist cold blooded murderer he is. Then skipped to the man himself freely telling us what any psychologist will have worked out.

I expected to see some low ratings for this from the many people who miss how important the details they chose to run with are. Everything from mistaking an entitled man who felt he shouldn't have to explain himself, for a confused, traumatised man who was the victim in all of this. He wasn't a victim, but like any narcissistic or psychopathic person he talked like he was the victim. Many of the things he said were subtle to the average person on the street because people often mix up this type of behaviour. The police did a good job at picking up on dishonesty indicators that are often missed by other people. Again, unless you know what words the person telling lies say, and understand how to pick up on the tells of a person who never takes responsibility for their own behaviour it isn't as obvious, but if you do it is.

And that's the crux of this. Tony Martin will in general be not a nice person, because he thinks he's superior to others. And his actions are classic narcissistic rage which become dangerous if there's a weapon close by.

My point is that even though these parts were cherry picked, they are fundamental parts that DO tell the whole story. And then the cherry on top was Tony Martin himself confirming that he shouldn't have been let out of prison early and is still a danger to society to anyone who he next flies into a narcissistic rage with, when there happens to be a knife or a gun nearby.

I can't even begin to work out what inspired them to do the film this way, as it is a risky strategy. But credit must be given for doing it this way in a genre that insists on spoon feeding the audience all of the way and stating the obvious to appeal to everyone. Instead they treated their audience as intelligent people and gave us all of the important bits and left the closing statement to the man himself. Genius I say! Well done.