Al Murray - The Pub Landlord - Live - My Gaff My Rules DVD > Reviews > All hail the ale!

Author's product rating:   

Did you enjoy it?	Loved it
Story	Good
Characters / Performances	Good
Special Effects	Standard
How does it compare to similar films?	Good

Advantages:	Hillariously funny
Disadvantages:	Don't watch in front of the parents !

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Al Murray is here in his first live stand-up DVD. For anyone who has not seen the landlord live I will fill you in on his main philosophies in life.

Men drink beer
Women drink wine (or a fruit based beverage)
The French are all scum

That's pretty much it! It's a simple life made all the more understandable once you've been drinking! This DVD shows Murray at the Playhouse theatre in London. Though you may be worried that it will all be scripted comedy (following the likes of The Office's Ricky Gervais) this comedian has a very different style.

For the first half of the act he talks to people in the audience "Hello guv what's your name?" No matter what they say the trademark response of "Beautiful British name" follows. This is funny but can become a bit repetitive at points. My personal favorite was when he asked one man what his occupation was only to be handed a golden nugget of a response "tax inspector". A boo goes up from the crowd, which Murray enjoys, "they say ignorance breeds hatred mate but in this case it's knowledge!" It is Murray's speed of wit that really sets him out as a true comedic star.

Though the second half is scripted it is still done very well. Murray has his own set of fully operational beer pumps so his character becomes increasingly drunk and abusive which adds to his character and somehow lets you forgive him even more sins! At this point he tells you about his son who has been taken so cruelly away from him by his wife who is now living with a "foreigner" a Frenchman no less! Imagine his indignation!

This is a very funny if completly non-PC DVD. The extras are nothing to rave about (typical DVD comentaries) but the main show itself is worth the money. I did have a small problem watching this when I thought my mother was otherwise occupied and she came in at just the point where Murray was calling David Coulthard a nasty C word. So beware the language is very strong and only gets stronger as the DVD continues.

Final word: Very funny if you are willing to accept that these are the ramblings of a character rather than the comedian, if he said these things outside of the character he would definately be arrested for racism! He is very witty and this is a great DVD where he gives his performance his all. Be prepared for some very strong language though and if easily offended I would avoid this for sure!

Amazon £14.99
Play £14.99
HMV £17.99