Director: Peter Cattaneo
Writer: Simon Beaufoy (Screenplay)
Starring: Robert Carlyle, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Addy, Paul Barber, Steve Huison, Hugo Speer, Lesley Sharp, Emily Wolf
Plot: Six unemployed steel workers form a male striptease act. The women cheer them on to go for “the full monty” – total nudity.
Tagline – Six men. With nothing to lose. Who dare to go..
Runtime: 1 Hour 31 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Full Monty starts as Gaz (Carlyle) and Dave (Addy) two recently unemployed steel workers are struggling to find themselves new jobs, with themselves finding life difficult to get through, until they learn about the Chip n Dales. The pair find Lomper (Huison), Guy (Speer), Horse (Barber) and their old gaffer Gerald (Wilkinson) also struggling after unemployment.
When the six decide to try their luck at a striptease in their local town, they will find themselves needing to overcome their own obstacles about themselves in their last attempt to try and make money.
Thoughts on The Full Monty
Characters & Performances – Gaz has seen his life turned upside down, his wife has left him, he is about to lose the rights to see his kid, as he is looking to find a way to put his life back together. He is always looking to make money and when he learns the money behind a striptease, he looks to bring the guys back for their own striptease and to have enough money to still see his son. Robert Carlyle is great here, bringing the tough as nails character to life, despite all his inner vulnerabilities. Dave is the best friend that will find himself working with Gaz through the difference schemes to make money, he has started to become lifeless at home, losing the spark he once had in life. He is always worried about his weight, which is the biggest talking point in the film, showing us how a man can question how men talk about women. Mark Addy brings us the likeable character to life, being the heart and soul of the film. Gerald is the former gaffer to the guys, he has kept his unemployment a secret from his wife as he is looking for a new job, his dancing skills have grabs the attention of the guys as he looks to put them to use for the people he used to work with. Tom Wilkinson completes the main three members of the cast who all work wonderfully together. The rest of the characters do help address the other problems they would be facing in this world, as they look for their own reason to get out of their slumps, with the whole cast being brilliant here.
Story – The story here follows six unemployed former steel workers that put their differences aside to put together a striptease after hearing the money that could be made from it. This is a story with so much more going on, with the deeper diving into the mass unemployment in certain areas, the damage is has done to the people, mostly the men who have lost their jobs, different reactions to cover for it and even touching on the darker side of suicidal thoughts when everything is taken away from them. We get to look a body image, agism and sexism, with this being one of the most complete scripts in years. It will give us the idea that people can come together for a better reason to make things better for everyone around them.
Themes – The Full Monty is a comedy set in the backdrop of an area Sheffield that has been struck by a massive unemployment levels, showing us just how bleak the areas looks, even if it is bringing the people together more. While the story is a comedy, it will hold these moments back for the serious side of the film, which is why it is such a stand out.
The Full Monty is the full package of reality for people who must come together for their own better futures.