Sheffield, England. Gaz, a jobless steelworker in need of quick cash persuades his mates to bare it all in a one-night-only strip show.

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ebe28 from Charlotte, NC
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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.

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dan-391 from petaluma, ca
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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.

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elektraking007 from Hungary
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I saw The Full Monty about a month ago on TV and as soon as I saw it was coming up, I rushed to find a blank videotape for it. I didn't know what to expect but somehow I had this feeling that I HAD to tape it. And blimey, was it worth it! Now I watch the film every weekend and I enjoy it just as much as I did the first time I saw it. I love its style, its humour, everything. It's nice to see average people whose only goal was to get a job and in order to achieve it, they're willing to do anything. I've purchased the soundtrack as well, and I can clearly state that it's worth buying if you like 70's music. I think it's become my favourite film. It's so simple and that's why I like it, because at the same time it's greatly enjoyable.

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KCohere from Los Angeles
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No matter how many times I've seen it, and there's been lots, I laugh so hard it hurts. The characters are so endearing, especially little Nathan, that you just love them all. The music is great, and there are moments that tugged at your heart as well as make you laugh out loud. And the final stripping scene is fabulous! Glad to see Gaz finally got in time with the music. ;)

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mjw2305 from England
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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

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Boyo-2
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This movie will stand the test of time and be remembered as one of the funniest, most touching comedies ever made. A small miracle of a movie. Could never have been made in the USA; if they do an American remake, I'll tell you now, it won't come close to this great time at the movies.

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JCR-4 from Rome
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This is a great black comedy. A bunch of losers down at the job centre have no hopes of getting a job. As the film progresses, it picks up momentum as the big date approaches. Some great scenes of 80's Britain, the job centre, the clubs, the houses with paper-thin walls and low ceilings. You know what the finale is going to be, but it doesn't detract at all from the enjoyment of the film. It doesn't get political, as some other commenters have complained, but why should it? This is about the consequences of 80's Britain, not the causes. The characters are 100% believable, in their appearances and their behaviour. The fat one is the sort you see on a Saturday night in just about every city centre pub in England (and at the football matches too!). A pity some viewers from across the pond couldn't pick up the accents, that's not altogether surprising but consider that this film was probably not originally intended for worldwide distribution and if you had taken the accents away you'd have taken away also a lot of its charm.

PS: Sheffield, where the film was based, is actually quite a nice town in many areas.

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Sean Gallagher (seankgallagher@yahoo.com) from Brooklyn, NY
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When this got praised all over the place, I avoided seeing it at first because I was afraid it would be a letdown. But it's not, not in any way. This continues a tradition of sorts; while back in the 50's and early 60's, the British were known for their kitchen-sink, angry young man dramas (like "Room at the Top" or "Look Back in Anger"), now they seem to be putting comic spins on them, and it's working. Not only do you laugh (especially when Horse is at the Unemployment Office after the videotape of them dancing has been released to the public, and when he says he hasn't been up to anything, the clerk says, "That's not what I heard"), but the characters and where they come from are taken seriously and are three dimensional, so you care about them. The humor comes from real situations, not sitcom humor. A real winner!

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Lee Eisenberg (lee.eisenberg.pdx@gmail.com) from Portland, Oregon, USA
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What's one to do after the factory closes and you're left unemployed? For six Brits, the answer is quite simple: go "The Full Monty" (which means "all the way"). Led by the soft-spoken Gaz (Robert Carlyle), they decide to become male strippers. Along the way, some unexpected things happen, but it's a great movie from start to finish. And it had one of the best soundtracks that I've ever heard (I'd never even heard "You Sexy Thing" before I saw this movie). With top-notch performances by Carlyle, Mark Addy, Tom Wilkinson, Steve Huison, Paul Barber and Hugo Speer, this is one movie that everyone should see. It's not only funny, but takes a look at the dying dream of eternal success.

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Eric Beltmann (beltmann@execpc.com) from West Bend, WI
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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

suicide attempt|striptease|steel worker|repossession|male stripper|

AKAs Titles:


Certifications:
Argentina:13 / Australia:M / Brazil:12 / Canada:PA (Manitoba) / Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) / Canada:AA (Ontario) / Canada:G (Quebec) / Chile:14 / Denmark:A / Finland:S / France:U / Germany:12 (bw) / Iceland:L / Italy:T / Mexico:B / Netherlands:AL / New Zealand:M / Norway:7 / Peru:14 / Portugal:M/12 / Russia:16+ / Singapore:PG / Singapore:PG13 (re-rating) / Spain:13 / Sweden:Btl / UK:15 / USA:TV-MA (TV rating) / USA:R (certificate #35028)