The Full Monty

The Full Monty offers a seductive, playful piece of comic gumption: Six unemployed steel workers become amateur male strippers, baring themselves as an antidote to the dole. The title is British slang for "buck naked," but the film isn't about nudity, or lust, exactly. It takes as its subject the free-falling sense of desperation provoked by unemployment. As these flaccid bodies strive to exude "sexiness," director Peter Cattaneo turns their struggle into a blue-collared survival reflex, which yields a thin yet agreeable amount of emotional weight.

Robert Carlyle plays a bitter but devoted divorced father trying to meet his support payments so his son will trust him, and Mark Addy just wants to provide for his nurturing wife, who worries about the secret G-string buried in her flabby husband's underwear drawer.

Suffering ritual-humiliation for the sake of loved ones, these men pawn their dignity for economic survival. Cattaneo allows the script to hint at the social and fiscal conditions endured by the working-class under Thatcher, but mostly he avoids politicizing the material. Instead, he aims for rowdy, laugh-out-loud passages about awkward pseudo-debauchery. Perhaps The Full Monty settles for rather broad, coarse humor, but it has intensely pleasing charms and Cattaneo gives it an unexpected deadpan consistency. He exposes the comedy of shame, and then the comedy of shamelessness.

ERIC BELTMANN

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

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.

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.

I remember this movie when it originally came out. It looked interesting, but I was younger at the time and I wasn't allowed to watch R-rated movies. Later, I finally saw this movie about three years ago on HBO. I laughed my a** off. It was so freakin' funny and I still think it is funny. I bought the "Fully Exposed" two disc DVD and I still love this movie. Yeah some people don't understand British humor, but I love it still. I grew up watching Bristish shows like "Mr. Bean" and "Are You Being Served?" I love those shows and I love this movie, I think it is one of the best comedies ever made. I highly recommend it, you will laugh as hard as I did.