The Full Monty
Director: Peter Cattaneo
Writer: Simon Beaufoy
Cast: Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, Wim Snape, Steve Huison, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Barber, Hugo Speer, Lesley Sharp, Emily Woof, Deirdre Costello
Seen on: 15.5.2023

Plot:
Sheffield used to be a booming steel town. But the economy and production collapsed and now most of the people in town are unemployed with very little chance of finding a job again. Gaz (Robert Carlyle) certainly isn’t the first in line. Instead he and his friend Dave (Mark Addy) try to supplement their income with a bit of crookery, even if that means that Gaz isn’t exactly a shining example for his son Nathan (Wim Snape). Quite by chance, the two come up with an idea though that could mean making some nice cash, legally: they will find some other guys and start a strip show. Desperation around them is big enough that they can try at least. But they would definitely need something big to offer the local women to attend their show.

The Full Monty has been a family favorite pretty much since it came out (or at least could be seen on TV). I don’t know how many times I watched it as a kid. But I haven’t seen it in something like 20 years now. Getting reacquainted with it as an adult now was a great experience – it’s still a wonderful, warm, funny film.

Often when we see films that we have seen as children, especially when they are not really children’s films, really hit very differently when we see them again as adults, but in this case, the film is pretty much exactly like I remembered it to be. In fact, there were moments in the dialogue I could still speak along with. This is rare, even for films I have seen a lot, especially when I haven’t seen them in a long while.

Of course, as an adult, I still relate differently to it than I did as a child. Now what stood out to me were the many ways the film examines masculinity and the insecurities the guys have to face as they decide to go ahead with stripping. It might sound awesome to have women scream for your naked butt on stage, when you think in hegemonial masculinity, but there is a lot of vulnerability there as well – and the film navigates this beautifully.

It is also still incredibly funny with it because it never punches down. It empathizes with its characters all the way and tries to do right by them without glossing over their faults. Coupled with the flawless cast, it makes the film such a wonderfully warm experience. Even as you laugh at the absurdity, you never laugh at the guys. And the desperation that fuels everything is always just around the corner, keeping the film grounded as well.

There are so many films that age poorly, it is awesome to find one that still works – especially when you already love it. The Full Monty is just that film.

Summarizing: wonderful.