Full Monty

One thing I've always appreciated in British films is that the actors look like Real People. I don't mean unattractive, but just normal everyday looking, unlike Hollywood actors who are exceedingly pretty with perfect teeth and stylish clothes, and unlimited bank accounts, no matter what their occupation. In this film, a group of unemployed steelworkers decide to put on an amateur strip show to make ends meet. It is presented as a comedy, but it does have some very moving moments, as it shows the despair and desolation of unemployment. And it subtly displays the economic conditions of Thatcher's England, where entire industries were shut down, taking jobs and local economies along with them. As in other British films, the characters seem real, like people we would know if we lived in their town. I can picture having a pint down at the local pub with Gaz and Gerald more than, say, Tom Cruise.

Robert Carlyle and Mark Addy combine with a great support cast to bring one of the freshest comedies in years to the big screen. Set in Sheffield after the great 'City of Steel' Days, there are more people in the dole queue, than out at work.

Struggling for money the pair decide that if the Chippendale's can get the kit off and make a packet, then why can't they. They recruit some more strippers, all desperate for some cash, and promise the city the Full Monty. Now all they need is to learn how to dance, learn how to overcome there fear of the Full Monty and sell some tickets.

This film is a very funny view of a struggling community in what was once a thriving city. Great characters, slick and realistic dialogue and great direction, this is one of the finest British comedies ever.

8/10

This is an unbeatable movie! I saw it at the theater in 1997 along with about 7 other women...we all went to the theater alone because our hubbies refused to take us! Seriously...I did not know one single woman in the theater that day! We all loved the movie right off...

My sister bought it and we watched it with captioning, and boy had we missed a lot of lines at the theater and funny ones at that! You see with the English accents and all their slang-- you just can't understand a lot of what they are saying...

Watch this movie with and without the captioning! It's like watching a movie with English being your second language, and I B.S. you not!

The English working class has a different way of expressing themselves--its so charming and hilarious...

I think Robert Carlysle is brilliant "Gaz". I cannot think of anyone who could have done it better.

This movie cannot be beat! I bought it and recommend it to everyone!! Definitely a ten out of ten.

Unemployment is no joke (as an ex-pat Brit living and sometimes working in the US, I can confirm that with a vengeance). But sometimes, with a little vision and a lot of confidence (or desperation - take your pick), you can either find a way out of the depths of despair, or at the very least lighten the load a little, even if only for a short time. You take your pleasure wherever you can find it.

This movie will undoubtedly strike chords with those who have been unemployed long term, especially in the north of England (or in the Midlands or indeed anywhere. Depression - economic, social or clinical - knows no boundaries).

It's a smile, unless of course it *doesn't* strike a chord with you. Then you'll see it as a politically charged documentary with a few unnecessary laughs that ring very hollow.

But this isn't another Boys from the Blackstuff and I don't think it ever intended to be. The characters in this story are less focussed on pleading "Gissajob" and more inclined to say "Gissasmile". There is social commentary, yes, and it's well made (in my opinion, obviously), but the bigger message, I think, is that when life sucks - and it can do, most of the time - you don't have to give in to the feelings of utter despair.

You can fight back, you can refuse to be bowed, and for everyone in the awful predicament of being willing and able to work but being unable to find anyone willing to give you a chance, there is the possibility of finding a ray of sunshine, even if only temporarily, in an otherwise grey and depressing condition.

And it's those little rays of sunshine that help to give you hope. A laugh here, a giggle there, a bit of extreme silliness once in a while - it all helps keep you sane.

And that's what is enjoyable about this movie: it's the story of a group of men trying to stay sane even if it means losing some of their dignity in the process. And the one thing you notice towards the end of the story - and it's certainly capable of being true of real life - is that in raising their own spirits, the main characters here also raise the spirits of those around them.

They also remind me of myself and some of my friends. I could see myself taking part in something like this, albeit reluctantly (since I'm pathologically shy), just for the hell of it.

And doing something just for the hell of it is what makes this movie one of my favourites.

When I first saw this movie, I absolutely loved it. With each successive viewing, I noticed the characters' emotions as they coped with the dirty hand that has been dealt to them and making the most of it. I also saw the immense bond between the men as they already shared the low-class existence and a rather bleak future but seeing nothing but an opportunity to be rich. And they were all willing to endure the humiliation in front of hundreds of people to achieve it.

Like M*A*S*H, the Full Monty shows people placed in a harrowing existence with seemingly no end in sight. Yet the laughs are sprinkled throughout nicely, and even though each man has their own personal fears to overcome, they find strength in each other, which makes the experience all the more fruitful.

The actors were absolutely top notch, particularly Robert Carlyle. I was already impressed with his performance from Trainspotting to know that he is very capable of carrying the central figure of the movie. Peter Cattaneo's direction was inspired, and he knew the right angles to use (check out the scene when the lads were auditioning new members, particularly Guy) for perfect comedic effect.

I admit that some of the sub-plots needed more fleshing out, particularly between Gaz and Nathan as well as Gerald and his wife. And as many times as I've seen the movie, I don't know much about Guy other than his love for Singing in the Rain and his obvious natural endowment that took the breath away from his mates!

The music was terrific as well. I dare anyone to deny that they had to consciously stop tapping their feet when hearing "Hot Stuff" after watching this movie.

I have been to Sheffield recently, so the movie holds even more personal meaning for me. And for all those complaining about the accents being difficult to understand, watch it again. It's in English not Chinese! The accents are part of the charm. I rate this movie a solid 8.5 out of 10 and worth seeing many times over.