The Full Monty is a "right good laff" (to borrow the parlance of its protagonists). Although the dialect may occasionally bewilder viewers unused to north-England speech, the humour doesn't need any translation. Gaz is down on his luck and is possessed of an endless supply of far-fetched money-making schemes. Inspired with a visit by the renowned Chippendale male strip-show artists to his hometown of Sheffield, and impressed at the huge amounts of money they make by seemingly just taking off their clothes and prancing around a bit, Gaz decides this is his ticket to some fast cash.
Part of the reason this film is likeable is that humour and realism go hand in hand. From the depressing backdrop of an industrial town with high unemployment, Gaz manages to cobble together a troupe of six unlikely strippers, including a suicidal security worker, a man with a dodgy hip, and a well-endowed bathroom repairman. These guys aren't super-studs, they're just ordinary blokes who are willing to give it a shot, and maybe, just maybe, get rich.
The film begins with Gaz and his friend Dave becoming marooned on a partially submerged car in the middle of a canal (the unanticipated result of one Gaz's plans), and the originality of the comedy continues throughout. So fresh is the humour, that the occasional moments when it sinks to the level of slapstick and cliché, disrupt the natural feel of the movie. The funniest sequences involve the self-titled 'Hot Metal' strippers - who have trouble comprehending dance moves unless they're related to positioning on a soccer field - attempting to master the strip-tease bump and grind (accompanied by a fabulous soundtrack of retro tunes, including Donna Summer and Hot Chocolate).
Part of the reason this film is likeable is that humour and realism go hand in hand. From the depressing backdrop of an industrial town with high unemployment, Gaz manages to cobble together a troupe of six unlikely strippers, including a suicidal security worker, a man with a dodgy hip, and a well-endowed bathroom repairman. These guys aren't super-studs, they're just ordinary blokes who are willing to give it a shot, and maybe, just maybe, get rich.
The film begins with Gaz and his friend Dave becoming marooned on a partially submerged car in the middle of a canal (the unanticipated result of one Gaz's plans), and the originality of the comedy continues throughout. So fresh is the humour, that the occasional moments when it sinks to the level of slapstick and cliché, disrupt the natural feel of the movie. The funniest sequences involve the self-titled 'Hot Metal' strippers - who have trouble comprehending dance moves unless they're related to positioning on a soccer field - attempting to master the strip-tease bump and grind (accompanied by a fabulous soundtrack of retro tunes, including Donna Summer and Hot Chocolate).