Naked (1993)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Mike Leigh

Writer:

Mike Leigh (writer)

Release Date:

February 1994 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Plot:

Johnny flees Manchester for London, to avoid a beating from the family of a girl he has raped. There he finds an old girlfriend...

Plot Keywords:

Drug | Manic Depression | Cruelty | Social Problem | Anger

Awards:

8 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

David Thewlis	...	Johnny
Lesley Sharp	...	Louise Clancy
Katrin Cartlidge	...	Sophie
Greg Cruttwell	...	Jeremy G. Smart
Claire Skinner	...	Sandra
Peter Wight	...	Brian
Ewen Bremner	...	Archie
Susan Vidler	...	Maggie
Deborah MacLaren	...	Woman in Window
Gina McKee	...	Cafe Girl
Carolina Giammetta	...	Masseuse
Elizabeth Berrington	...	Giselle
Darren Tunstall	...	Poster Man
Robert Putt	...	Chauffeur
Lynda Rooke	...	Victim

Also Known As:

Mike Leigh's Naked

Runtime:

131 min | South Korea:112 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:R21 | Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 (cut) | Australia:R | Finland:K-16 | France:-12 | Netherlands:16 | Norway:15 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:Unrated | Canada:R (Ontario)

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Thin Man Films

Trivia:

The script was largely created by improvisation during 11 weeks of rehearsal before shooting. The script was only 25 pages long.

Quotes:

Brian: Would you like a mint?
Johnny: Is this a new policy? Ply the culprit with menthol?

Movie Connections:

Featured in A Personal History of British Cinema by Stephen Frears (1997) (TV)

Powerful, wearing, tough to stomach yet has to be seen

One of the most powerful British films of the 90s. Mike Leigh directs David Thewlis in an unrelenting, uncompromisingly cynical portrayal of self-loathing and alienation

In this, Leigh's toughest, most uncompromising work for cinema, Thewlis turns in a stunningly uningratiating performance. He utterly immerses himself in the role of Johnny, an articulate, disenfranchised angry young man, who's escaped Manchester after a bit of rough outdoor sex turns into something a lot like rape.

Johnny flees to London to hook up with an old girlfriend Louise (Sharp). While wandering around the city he gives free rein to his unfocused rage and indulges in some further degrading sexual encounters, notably with the dippy and compliant Sophie (Cartlidge).

This is brilliant stuff, but hard to stomach. Once again Leigh proves what a big problem he has with London's bourgeoisie, particularly with his portrayal of the smooth, sexually exploitative Jeremy (Cruttwell).

Leigh gives us so little to cling to here. There is barely a symphathetic character aside from security guard Brian (Wright), who dreams of escaping to Ireland. So the viewer is stuck with the edgy autodidact Johnny. It's an immensely powerful film about self-loathing and urban alienation, but, Thewlis' remarkable performanace notwithstading, staying the two hour distance is asking for a lot, even from die-hard Leigh fans.