THE FULL MONTY
UK, 1987, 90 minutes, Colour.
Robert Carlyle, Mark Addy, Tom Wilkinson, Paul Barber, Steve Huison, William Snape, Emily Woof.
Directed by Peter Cataneo.
In Sheffield some unemployed men are interested in music of a different kind, the bump and grind kind. It might seem odd recommending a comedy about a group of middle-aged men who decide that they can earn some money by becoming the local Chippendales. There is a lot of mildly raunchy humour watching them practise which is really very funny. It is another feel good movie in a feel sad situation.
The leader of the troupe is Robert Carlyle who is proving one of Britain's most versatile actors while retaining his working class ethos - Hamish Macbeth and movies like Carla's Song, Priest, Trainspotting, Go Now, Face. Mark Addy was invited to Hollywood and Tom Wilkinson moved to an international career, gaining an Oscar nomination for In the Bedroom. The film won an International Catholic Film award at the San Sebastian festival. There is a great deal of social detail in this unexpected comedy.
1.The popularity of the film, its universal appeal? Its humanity?
2.The British and Yorkshire humour? Travelling internationally? The basic concept? The characters? The visual humour?
3.The portrait of Sheffield, the city, the homes, the former plants? Authentic location and atmosphere?
4.The opening documentary? The optimism about Sheffield and its development? The style of the voice-over? The contrast with 25 years? The Thatcher era? Industry run down? Unemployment? The changes in society, families? Crime? A sense of hopelessness? Unemployment hitting all ages and ranges of employment? A portrait of the UK in the early '90s?
5.The title, the joke, striptease, sex and sexuality, treated with a sense of fun, the humour of the sequences of rehearsal, performance? Responding to the rhythms of the music as they waited in the dole queue? The musical score and the bump and-grind songs?
6.Gary as the focus of the film, his background, the taking of the girder at the opening, his relationship with Nathan, his friendship with Dave? Needing the money to pay Mandy? The Chippendales and their performance, his being in the toilet, listening in to the women, the performance itself and the women's reactions? The need for 700 pounds, his wanting to have a relationship with his son and therefore find the money?
7.The club for the unemployed, the lectures and their being disregarded, playing cards, seeking jobs, the computer? Dave and the others? Gerald and his being their boss, being retrenched, his anger, searching at the computer? Unemployment across the board from management to workers?
8.The old-fashioned ballroom dancing, Gerald and his wife, Dave and Gary watching, going into the playroom - and Dave with the rings on his arm? Nathan? Asking Gerald to help them with the music? Going to Gerald's house, his wife and her puzzle about them? Gerald lying about his work and about them?
9.The redheaded man and his attempted suicide, Dave fixing the car, the fumes, rescuing him, putting him back in the car when he was ungrateful? His finding that they were his mates? His happiness in finding mates? The idea of the stripping, offering them a place to rehearse? The music in the warehouse, Gary practising his stripping but getting caught up with the cigarette? Nathan and his reaction? Gary pursuing him and giving him a lift home?
10.Gerald going for his interview, the group with the garden gnomes distracting him, his performance at the interview, the reaction of the interviewees? His later anger, his being hurt by their ruining his chances? Their later meeting him, offering him the gnome and the cart in compensation?
11.The decision to go ahead with the stripping, forming a committee, holding of the auditions? The parody of the show business people and the auditions? The middle-aged man and his attempts - but deciding it wasn't for him? Horse and his background of music, his sense of rhythm - but his bad hip? The middle-aged man and his endowments - qualifying him to be a dancer? The fact that he knew Gerald from the past?
12.Gerald and his attempts at coaching them in dance and rhythm? The stealing of the video from the shop? Their watching Flashdance? Inspiration - despite Dave's criticism of Jennifer Beale doing the welding wrongly? Horse taking over and showing them the proper rhythms? Going to Gerald's house and becoming at east with stripping - the awkwardness, self-consciousness, the men coming to repossess the furniture and their reaction? Their getting the briefs? The rehearsal in the warehouse, the stripping, Nathan and his playing the music? The policeman hearing the music, coming in, the redhead and his friend escaping? The others arrested - the interviews, the self-consciousness about their names? The interrogations? The confiscation of the security video and its being played - and Gerald wanting a repeat so that he could see what was wrong with the dancing?
13.Dave and his character, his relationship with his wife, watching her at the shop and being jealous of the shop attendant? His sense of his size, low self-image? Food, chocolates? The possibility of the Gladwrap helping him to reduce his size - but his giving in? His friendship with Gary, jogging, saving the redhead from suicide, the auditions? The possibility of the security job and his taking it? The stealing of the Flashdance video and his criticisms of Jennifer Beale's work? Gary coming to him at the shop, their taking the suit coats and running? His wife assuming that he was having an affair - his confessing the truth to her and her support?
14.The redheaded man, running from the police with his friend, the comedy of their going through the backyards in the briefs, taking the sheets? The suggestion of the sexual relationship between them? His playing in the band, his relating with the rest of the group? His mother's funeral and their all attending? The rehearsal with the band - and their playing `The Stripper' and his smile?
15.The character of Horse, his background, the bad hip, his age, his sense of rhythm? His organising the rehearsal - and bringing his relatives and their enjoyment - and the showing of their facial reactions to the performance?
16.Gerald and his relationship with his wife, not telling her the truth for six months, her planning the skiing holiday? Their dancing together? The breaking of the gnome and her anger at everything being repossessed, but more angry at him not telling her the truth? Her never liking the gnomes? The irony of his getting the offer for the new job, his new suit - but the request to do the stripping?
17.Gary and his relationship with Nathan, going to see Mandy? The arrest and her preventing him from seeing Nathan, the meeting after school, his asking Mandy for the loan for the performance?
18.Nathan and his relationship with his mother? Stepfather? His hanging around with his father, the stealing of the girder - and being stranded in the canal? His initial embarrassment at the stripping? His being at the auditions - and the audience sharing his reaction to the characters and the situations, his facial expressions? Playing the music? The arrest? His mother forbidding him to go for a swim with his father? The importance of his belief in his father and going to the bank for the money? His finally forcing his father to go on stage?
19.The bar owner and his wanting the cash down? The information about the stripping and selling 200 tickets? The girls seeing the ad and the conversation in the street? The officer at the unemployment office and her reaction in knowing about the performance? Everybody turning up at the club and their eager anticipation?
20.The build-up to the performance? Dave and his not coming but his wife persuading him? Gary and his nerves and Nathan forcing him to go on? The attitudes of the others - and their enjoying the performance? The interaction between audience and performers? The build-up to The Full Monty and the final freeze-frame?
21.Audience reaction to striptease, sexy, wary? Seeing striptease as fun? The jokes - and not making sexuality hothouse and putting it on an unassailable pedestal?
22.The film with its blend of sadness and laughter and hope?
