# Full Monty, The (1997)

### reviewed by
E. Benjamin Kelsey

    THE FULL MONTY
    (R)

    Directed by Peter Cattaneo
    Running Time: 90 minutes
    Originally Released: August 13, 1997

    Reviewed by E. Benjamin Kelsey

    * * * (out of four)

How many of us would become strippers? For those of us who wouldn't, is it a moral reason, or purely a lack of confidence? That's probably not a fair question, and for a lot of us, it could very well be for neither of those reasons. As you watch THE FULL MONTY, however, you may begin asking yourself these kinds of questions. Would you be willing to grin and bare it to bring in some much needed dough?

In case you haven't guessed, THE FULL MONTY is about stripping, but STRIPTEASE it ain't. It's actually quite a charming comedy that uses its ideas with a great deal of tact and sophistication. It is the story of six out-of-work, out-of-shape blue collar Brits whose recent job losses have left the boys penniless, but not without need. What to do? It hits our main character Gaz (Robert Carlyle) as he notices the large crowds of women who pour into a local male strip club on a regular basis. It seems that simple: take it off and bring in the cash.

Eventually, Gaz is able to convince his friends to join him in starting their own exotic dance routine despite their initial reluctance. These include the overweight, confidence-lacking Dave (Mark Addy), the uptight, overly-officious Gerald (Tom Wilkinson), the once suicidal Lomper (Steve Huison), and two additional fellows who gain their place among the group by audition: Horse (Paul Barber), an older gentlemen chock full of graceless energy, and Guy (Hugo Speer), a young well-endowed looker who compares himself to Cary Grant.

When the sextet is complete, we're given a hefty dose of physical comedy. We watch the bumbling middle-aged men choreograph pseudo-sexy dance numbers, all the while proving why none of them were strippers in the first place. As if there anti-appeal wasn't enough, they decide to boost interest in the group by promising "the full monty" on opening night, which for us Americans, means baring it all . . . and I mean *all*.

The movie actually ends on opening night; a hilarious applause worthy ending I might add. It's sure to leave nothing short of a big smile on your face as you leave the theater. With the subject matter, you might not expect THE FULLY MONTY to be such a feel-good, almost inspiring film, but it surprisingly turns out that way. The amount of light, touching drama also comes as a nice surprise, never feeling off-balance from the otherwise highly upbeat moments of the film. There's a lot more to this movie than you might think in other words, and the ensemble cast couldn't be better. Each character is completely individual, interesting, funny, and most importantly, real.

THE FULL MONTY is never offensive, a very impressive attribute since its subject matter alone could've easily fallen prey to tastelessness. It's one of those movies that is best described as a solid piece of entertainment, perfect for a great night on the town, or as a Saturday night movie rental. Either way you see it, it shouldn't let you down in the slightest. And, pun heavily intended, when it's all said and done, you'll be smiling from cheek to cheek.

    January 24, 1998

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