Full Monty (1997)

Please note that this is for the two-disc "Fully Exposed" edition:

If you're reading this you're probably already a fan or at least have read other reviews telling you how great the movie is, so I won't clutter the place with more of the same.

But it has to be said that after ten years of being stuck with a DVD that counts "Interactive Menus" as a special feature, I'm beside myself that there's finally some REAL special features to be had.

We get to see some of the history regarding the brass band featured throughout the film, development of the script and production, not to mention two different commentary tracks.

But the real gem, as far as I'm concerned, is the featurette "Translating English to English". It really exposes this bizarre paranoia that the American side of the production had.

Rewinding a bit, I started my Monty obsession with a VHS copy of the movie and always wondered why some of the words didn't match the facial movements of the actors. When the tape wore out I replaced it with the first DVD version, which had an "Original UK audio track" option. Playing that, I realised that they had dubbed some of the words for the US version and that's why it always looked so goofy.

Even funnier, it wasn't the weirder UK expressions like "Chuffing Nora" or "Don't get a benny on". No, they dubbed words like "DIY" into "how-to" and "tw-t" into "git". Tw-t into git?? How is "git" any easier for the supposedly confused American audience to understand?

So the featurette on the subject was just about as funny as the film itself and, for me, that alone was worth buying this version.

Definitely a must-have for any Full Monty fan.

Just about the time you think no one is capable of making a fresh and original comedy anymore, along comes something like The Full Monty, to surprise and delight you with wit and subtlety and insight.

The story of unemployed steel workers in Sheffield, England who decide to put on a male striptease show for one night to make some money is a simple premise that is beautifully realized because of the time the film takes to build our understanding of these men and their different plights and motivations. We come to know and care for them as they come to care for each other. The comedy grows from the characters and their personalities and their different reactions and situations. There is sympathy and sensitivity to their desperation: Gaz (Robert Carlyle), the ex-con hustler, desperate to keep a connection with his son; Gerald (Tom Wilkinson), the manager, desperate to hold onto his middle-class lifestyle; Dave (Mark Addy), chubby and insecure, desperate to hold onto his wife; and so on. Expertly played by these actors, new to American audiences in 1997, but now familiar, the laughter evoked is wry and humane and, in the end, joyful.

The film carefully builds the story with expert comedic setups (the auditions and rehearsals, etc.) of everyday men trying to do something they are seemingly unequipped and ill-prepared to accomplish, with touches of pathos as we see the troubles and strains in their personal lives. All this leads to the Big Night and a grand finale that is funny, heart-warming and beautifully filmed. A terrific little film with a lot on its mind, beneath the humor. Something to do with the dignity of work, of self-respect, and of the touching care one can find amidst people undergoing hard times. A gem.

Buy Full Monty (1997) Now

I brought "The Full Monty" home one evening when my boyfriend was not feeling well because I thought that a good laugh would cheer him up. His reaction to seeing the video box? "I'm already not feeling well. I don't want to watch a movie about a bunch of male strippers prancing around." And then we put in the movie and couldn't stop laughing.

"The Full Monty" is about so much more than male strippers. The film centers around out-of-work steelworkers trying to cope with life now that their mill is shut down. The movie realistically explores male friendship, men's feelings about failing their wives' expectations, devotion to family, coping with loss,... but in ways that do not become depressing.

The stripper plan comes about because Gaz (Robert Carlyle) needs to come up with money to bring his child support current so that he can continue seeing his son. The father-son relationship is one of the most touching aspects of the movie. Gaz's son, Nate, tags along with Gaz as he tries to put together a Chippendale-style show to catch up on his child support. [As an aside, "The Full Monty" and "A Thousand Clowns" with Jason Robards would be an interesting pair of movies to see together as a starting point for examining what makes a good father.]

The relationships between the dancers that Mark Addy and Carlyle assemble is fun to watch. Tom Wilkison (also seen in "The Patriot", "In the Bedroom", and "Moulin Rouge") is excellent as their former supervisor who turns to dancing to cover his wife's extravagant spending. Addy is equally good as Gaz's chubby friend who is struggling with his marriage: His wife wants him to take a job in a local variety store. He thinks she's having an affair because he's too fat.

To top it off, the soundtrack is awesome!

Read Best Reviews of Full Monty (1997) Here

This classic (albeit very modern) 1997 British film, which I have seen a few times now, is one of my favourites. The storyline is highly original, very funny, and hugely entertaining overall, but it's also heartwarming. The setting is Sheffield, England, world famous for its steel. Sadly Sheffield, like most of the North of England, has had to deal with massive unemployment; in Sheffield's case, it's a result of the collapse of the steel industry. Briefly, the story revolves around six unemployed men, victims of the times, who aspire to "putting on" a one-night-only "full monty" (British slang for "taking it ALL off") strip show to raise some much-needed cash.

The idea is actually the brain-child of one of the men, Gaz (played by Robert Carlyle (The World is Not Enough)), who is in arrears in his maintenance payments for his son (who lives with Gaz's ex-wife and her new boyfriend). Gaz is at risk of losing joint custody and fears he may lose his son altogether. His motivation (and indeed his desperation) in coming up with such an outrageous scheme is, therefore, both plausible and understandable, for the men stand to pocket a nice little sum of money if they can, quite literally, pull it off. The film, which is 95 minutes, also features Tom Wilkinson (Essex Boys), who plays the lads' former boss from the steel factory, and Paul Barber (Denzil from Only Fools and Horses).

In conclusion, I highly recommend this film to fans of British comedy in general, but I think its appeal is broad enough to be enjoyed by anyone looking for a thoroughly enjoyable comedy with a really good storyline. Just one thing: Viewers ought to be prepared for fairly thick Yorkshire accents. This may be a bit of a shock at first for the unfamiliar, but close attention helps and it is well worth the effort. It's a cute story that is superbly acted and very well presented. What's more, it's a film that can be enjoyed time and again.

Very highly recommended!

Want Full Monty (1997) Discount?

In the spirit of full disclosure, most of the films and literature on my "all-time favorite" lists are British, so there is definitely something about our cousins across The Pond that appeal to my sensibilities, although I am not of British descent, but "Monty" is special. Being from the Missouri Ozarks, the Yorkshire accents in the movie couldn't be further from what my ears are accustomed to hearing, but in no way did that interfere with my thorough enjoyment of this film. It is warm, sweet, a bit melancholy, and touching while managing to avoid being sappy...and absolutely hilarious.

The key is the situations in which the characters find themselves that are funny and not so much the characters themselves. The result is believability and dignity of each character, even while they find themselves in very undignified circumstances.

As a side note, The "translator" section in the Special Features is puzzling to me because they translate slang terms with which most Americans are already familiar, i.e., "DIY," "tw-t," etc., but leave out British oddities that are unknown in the USA, such as "chuffing Nora" "kit," and "taking the piss" and some terms that, after repeated viewings, still sound like gobbledygook to the average American. No matter. Everyone I know who has seen the film understood what was going on.

This film is not raunchy, tacky, or vulgar, so do not let the premise put you off. It is a lovely story about human beings discovering their dignity in the midst of very undignified circumstances. Highly, highly recommended.

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