`THE FULL MONTY' WORKS HARD TO STRIP AWAY CLICHED CLASS ANGER.

Byline: Bob Strauss Daily News Film Critic

The rusting of British working life once again is laid bare by ``The Full Monty.'' At least this entry in the unemployed-blokes genre has a funny premise and goes easy on the class anger. Neither is it as sentimental or fundamentally dopey as ``Brassed Off,'' the last one of these things to reach our shores.

Be warned, however, that a few scenes involve marching bands. For the most part, though, ``Full Monty'' concerns itself with the much classier subject of men undressing in public.

This time the post-industrial city on the skids is Sheffield. Joe Cocker named an album after the place's fabled steel, but many millmen have been automated, or Thatcherated, out of their jobs in recent decades. This, inevitably, has caused more than one fellow's manhood to be questioned.

For Gaz (Robert Carlyle, last seen as ``Trainspotting's'' psychotic Begbie), it comes in the form of his ex-wife and 9-year-old son Nathan's (William Snape) correct opinion that he's an irresponsible, arrested adolescent. Overweight Dave (Mark Addy) is self-conscious about his appearance and wrestling with a bout of impotence. Stuffy Gerald (Tom Wilkinson), a former foreman, is afraid to tell his credit card-slinging wife that he's been laid off for six months.

Gaz recruits these two and some other, not-Chippendale-quality guys into a moneymaking (and, for him, visitation rights-preserving) scheme: an all-Yorkshiremen striptease act. We follow their awkward attempts to develop choreography and the courage to take it all off in front of 400 women, most of whom they know. A neat, mild emotional crisis per booty shaker also is provided.

Inevitably, these guys gain something like self-esteem through their efforts; one recruit, in fact, is dissuaded from suicide. Poor little Nate, of course, finds endless good reasons to cringe over his father's activities, but even he comes around to accept the general good-for-themness of it all. Males in the audience are likely to find this particular approach to empowerment dubious at best. However, women should be endlessly amused by the sight of men fretting so much about getting naked in a movie.

Some may be disappointed, though, that this amiable if unremarkable comedy never lives up to its title. ``The Full Monty'' is Brit slang for going all the way. Despite that - and in many ways, it's a comfort - no one's monty is ever fully exposed.

Both director Peter Cattaneo and writer Simon Beaufoy are pretty new at the feature film game. They have a nice flair for sweet characterizations, though no evident gifts for deep behavioral observation. Though not quite generic in feel, ``The Full Monty'' is very much another one of those out-of-work movies that the English paradoxically manufacture with assembly-line predictability.

But this one at least has a cute enough gimmick to make it stand out a bit from the grimy crowd. Hey, it's a better idea than expressing your employment worries with a tuba.

THE FACTS

The film: ``The Full Monty'' (R; language, nudity).

The stars: Robert Carlyle, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Addy.

Behind the scenes: Directed by Peter Cattaneo. Written by Simon Beaufoy. Produced by Uberto Pasolini. Released by Fox Searchlight Pictures.

Running time: One hour, 35 minutes.

Playing:Sunset 5, West Hollywood; NuWilshire, Santa Monica.

Our rating: Three Stars.

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Photo

Photo: Gaz (Robert Carlyle) develops the attitude of an irresponsible adolescent in ``The Full Monty.''