Movie Review: The Full Monty

The Full Monty

When this little movie came out in 1997, it made a big noise with critics and audiences alike. Somehow, I didn't find the time to see it then. This weekend, that unfortunate oversight was corrected.

The Full Monty was filmed in Sheffield, England. Sheffield was, for many years, a steel manufacturing hub for the British Isles. In the 1980's, however, it suffered much the same fate as did other manufacturing cities throughout the developed world. The tens of thousands of men who worked at the manufacturing facilites were laid off, and jobs were scarce. Most lived from hand-to-mouth on England's version of welfare referred to as the "Dole". Among these disenfranchised men is Gaz (Robert Carlyle) and his best friend Dave (Mark Addy). The two spend most of their time stealing bits and pieces of metal from the closed factories to sell for whatever they can get, or playing cards at the local "Job Club", otherwise known as an unemployment office.

As one hopeless day merges into another, the two are disgusted to see that the biggest stir in quite some time is caused by a local appearance of the Chippendale Dancers. With this a prime topic of conversation (including the fact that such men aren't real men, and that women seem to be willing to pay quite a lot to see them anyway), the two meet Lomper (Steve Huison), another kindred spirit. The mens' time could probably have been whiled away doing nothing for quite some time longer, but Gaz is threatened with the loss of his son, Nathan (William Snape) unless he can come up with the princely sum of 700 pounds. With nothing left to lose, Gaz strikes on the bright idea that, if women will pay big money to see those non-men, the Chippendales, he and his buddies should be able to make at least as much, seeing as how they're real men and all. After recruiting their former foreman, Gerald (Tom Wilkinson), the men actually hold auditions (providing scenes both pitiful and very funny) and put their plan into action. The Full Monty is British slang for total nudity, and the men decide that that's what will set them apart from other male strippers: they're going to bare it all.

Against a backdrop of a dismal job front and poverty, The Full Monty manages to be both touching and funny. Although Gaz has his faults, you want to cry with him when he says good-bye to his son. And when Dave gets desperate enough to try a weight-loss technique he's heard of, you'll cry again, this time from laughter.

Robert Carlyle has been in a number of movies, though I frankly can't recall having seen him before. And that's too bad, because he's very good. Mark Addy is okay as is Tom Wilkinson; Steve Huison brings a great character to life in the bashful yet optimistic Lomper. William Snape is terrific as Gaz's son, often forced to be more mature than his father, but loving him anyway. Most of the cast have very strong English accents, and the script is filled with terms that are likely familiar to British citizens but literally foreign to Americans. But an advantage to seeing The Full Monty on video is that tape can be rewound to pick up any bits you might miss. And make no mistake: The Full Monty shouldn't be missed.

FAMILY SUITABILITY: The Full Monty is rated R. Although you never see more than a few backsides, the parallel themes (joblessness and stripping) are adult in nature. I wouldn't recommend this movie for any child younger than about 16. But for those age 17 and up, there's a good deal to be learned from The Full Monty, not to mention a solid hour and a half of entertainment to be gained.