danielflattery Mike Leigh has often been called a proponent of Social Realism and yet Naked, as his most unique and striking work, escapes this category. The constancy of the monochromatic darkness that surrounds Leigh's nocturnal oddysey is highly surreal and distinctly memorable, appearing to represent a futile search for intelligent company by protagonist, 'Johnny', who is played by David Thewliss. Almost every scene in 'Naked' is shot in dim lighting and generally with only one visible source of light. This helps to cast shadow and leaves whole areas of the scene totally black and, combined with exclusively low angle shots, leaves the impression that we are witnessing something of society's darkened underbelly.It is interesting that the one instance where Leigh opts for a bright, open setting is the scene where Johnny finds solace in the company of an optimistic and philosophically minded night watchman, with whom he jousts verbally. The well lit reception area in which the guard works seems to represent salvation for Johnny. Soon after however, the scene plunges back to darkness, culminating with the two hunched on a stairwell, Johnny appearing to have corrupted the nature of his companion. Johnny later refers to him as an 'insecurity guard'.Leigh's approach towards actors is somewhat revolutionary and Naked is no exception in this regard, with Leigh directing the cast to improvise extensively and formulating the script from the results. This approach leads to a naturalism or nakedness that is seldomly surpassed. The script is dynamic and totally unpredictable. Thewliss was directed to read the bible and the teachings of Buddhism as research for the role and frequently quotes from both, creating a haunting contrast with his character's overt atheism.The camera work features many long, tracking shots, the most impressive of which is the final shot of Thewliss, limping down the street after having stolen a wad of money from his newly reconciled girlfriend. Throughout the shot's minute and a half, the camera remains just in front of Thewliss, looking backwards at his slow progress. The camera here deliberately avoids the road ahead and is very striking for that reason, seeming to suggest the difficult and uncertain path that lies ahead for both Johnny and the society he inhabits.

kobbunb Just overrated. There is nothing more than unconnected aphorisms with the environment or dialogues. Actually, there are more. David Thewlis's perform is really good and things are good in this movie but it's not awesome as much as people say it is. I'd rate it maybe more than 7 but my expectation was so high because of the people who talk about this movie.

Christopher Culver Mike Leigh's 1993 film NAKED is a drama on sexual relations -- how men hurt women, how some women accept that hurt out of low self-esteem and a desire to be wanted or supported. It is distinguished by its remarkably lifelike characters. Most of the film was worked out in improvisations for several months before shooting began. Leigh wanted his actors to create elaborate back stories for their characters, fully living inside of them so that when the cameras started rolling they would be completely convincing.As the film opens, Johnny (David Thewlis) has to flee Manchester after a sexual encounter with a married woman turns into rape and she threatens to set her husband after him. Stealing a car, he heads to London to crash at his ex-girlfriend Louise (Lesley Sharp), gets involved with her flatmate Sophie (Katrin Cartlidge), and spends a couple of nights homeless in London. Interspliced with this are scenes of Jeremy, a rich real estate broker whose sexual conquests serve as an upper-class counterpart to Johnny's own. Naturally the viewer is led to wonder what will happen when these two men meet.Something is wrong with Johnny, he answers anything said to him with a rambling torrent of words, a logorrhea that is a form of intellectual bullying; this deeply wounded man seems to feel the best defense against the cruelties of the world is a good offense. Only 27, Johnny is so wasted that he is taken for much older. In this, Thewlis's performance is one of the masterful screen portrayals of an eccentric or mentally ill person, like Dustin Hoffmann in RAIN MAN or Peter Sellers in BEING THERE.But all of the characters here are memorable, and my thoughts have often gone back to them in the time since I saw this film. I do have reservations about the plot, inasmuch as the last scenes of the film (which were decided only late in the filmmaking process) too suddenly change the tone and may seem anticlimactic. Nonetheless, I would recommend this film and believe it a great one in spite of its undeniable flaws.

Martin Teller Bleak and cynical and often uproariously funny. The bleakness would be overwhelming if not undercut so frequently with the humor of Johnny's rants. Much of the credit belongs to David Thewlis, whose brilliant work is comparable to McDowell in CLOCKWORK ORANGE or DeNiro in TAXI DRIVER. His character Johnny doesn't so much straddle the line between good and evil as he does swerve back and forth over it like a drunk driver. Johnny's darker qualities are neither negated nor mitigated by his charm, but his charm is substantial, with a wonderful gift for gab, a sense of intellectual curiosity, and a sarcasm-tinged but nonetheless genuine compassion for his fellow man buried under the bile. When Thewlis is on screen, he's riveting.Lesley Sharp is also superb as his ex-girlfriend, bravely attempting to maintain an air of stoicism in the face of Johnny's misanthropy, and Katrin Cartlidge is heartbreaking, if a bit shrill.The sour note in the movie is Sebastian/Jeremy, whose absolute vileness doesn't ring true in the context of the rest of the characters, who occupy much greyer territory. Perhaps he's simply there to make Johnny look not so bad in comparison. However, his role is small enough to overlook his presence, or at least consider it as the one truly rotten part of an otherwise excellent whole.