The Full Monty

British humor has its charms, though perhaps it is not so grateful and pandering. Some scenes are simply irresistible, Cattaneo conceived the tragicomical effort of aging characters to come into their own and overcome shame extraordinarily kindly and decently. The socially critical subtext (not unlike Billy Elliot’s) and in fact all the more serious topics offered in it fit seamlessly into the film. The icing on the cake are the precise performances of all concerned. An extraordinarily pleasant film! (02/16/2004)

British cinema has always been able to come up with remarkable films that were appreciated by critics and audiences alike. However, due to the different financial options, it could never compete with the productions of major American studios. American blockbusters have consistently dominated the British box office rankings. The first breakthrough was Trainspotting, but the comedy The Full Monty truly struck gold and became a benchmark for many imitations. It was the most popular film of the year in Britain and also performed well in the American market, where European films traditionally struggle. The film features a diverse, contrasting, appealing cast, and a wide range of themes combining erotic elements with social subtext, all wrapped in a comedic form. The humor never stoops down to cheap pandering, and the screenplay is truly balanced, in addition to having a suitable duration. Overall impression: 90%. (01/16/2008)

I first saw this story on stage, where it captivated me, but I searched for quite a while to find its film version. Now I finally found it. The British showcase their great sense of humor here. The environment is captured so well that you could easily believe the whole concept could be true. It has a great ensemble cast from whom you probably won't know many people - except Tom Wilkinson - but that doesn't matter because it's just a lot of fun. Still great after all these years. (05/15/2014)