Naked (1993)

Johnny flees Manchester for London, to avoid a beating from the family of a girl he has raped. There he finds an old girlfriend, and spends some time homeless, spending much of his time ... See full summary »

Director:

Mike Leigh

Writer:

Mike Leigh

Stars:

David Thewlis, Lesley Sharp, Katrin Cartlidge

9 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Johnny flees Manchester for London, to avoid a beating from the family of a girl he has raped. There he finds an old girlfriend, and spends some time homeless, spending much of his time ranting at strangers, and meeting characters in plights very much like his own.

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Plot Keywords:

reference to the book of revelation | marijuana | homelessness | limousine driver | male frontal nudity | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Unrated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

February 1994 (USA)

Also Known As:

Mike Leigh's Naked

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Box Office

Gross:

$1,769,305 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Thin Man Films, British Screen Productions, Channel Four Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

131 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

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

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Quotes

Louise: What are you doing here? You look like shit.
Johnny: I'm just tryin' to blend in with the surroundings.

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Connections

Referenced in The Adam and Joe Show: Episode #1.3 (1996)

User Reviews

One of the best films of the Nineties

Having a bad day? Then check out Mike Leigh's masterpiece; the tale of Johnny, a mid twenties Mancunian drifter who heads down to London (having nicked a car) and tracks down an old girlfriend. He seduces Sophie (the excellent Katrin Cartlidge), unleashes a display of venom on his old lover, Louise (Lesley Sharp) and staggers off into the night when both women become too much for him to bear. His odyssey takes him to a world of the homeless, including an illiterate Scot (Trainspotting's Ewen Bremner) and his long suffering girlfriend (Susan Vidler) and a lonely nightwatchman (Peter Wight) guarding empty space. It's during this lengthy scene that David Thewlis proves to be one of the most versatile actors of his generation, delivering a speech of bleak complexity and pre-millennial doom that leaves most viewers reeling. Juxtaposed with Johnny is Louise's rapist Yuppie landlord (Greg Cruttwell), perhaps the weakest character in the movie. He's rich, crass and brutal, but also appears to be a sneering cartoon character, overshadowed by Johnny's hard edged intellect. Naked is the flip side of Leigh's previous movie, Life is Sweet. A bitter tale of loneliness, depression and Thatcher's wasted youth that seemed to be forgotten by most home grown film-makers in the mad rush to emulate Wall Street. Had a bad day? Then this is the equivalent of the Blues for the eyes and food for thought. Cheers Mr Leigh.