Naked

An unemployed - but intelligent - social misfit goes on the run to London following a back alley rape, but finds The Capital just as desperate and alienating as his native Manchester. This is one of the hardest films I have ever had to review. Topics such as urban alienation, career-choice unemployment, leeching, homelessness, drug taking and sexual violence would normally send me running for cover; but what we have here is so well constructed and so skilfully acted that it transcends it own headline topics. This is a classic case of car-wreck film making: You don't praise or celebrate... more

My favourite Mike Leigh film by a mile. David Thewlis's performance in Naked is easily one of the greatest in the history of cinema, definitely in the top 10 of all time. The script is astonishing, its dark humour is both funny but uncomfortable and the characters are hateful but likable at the same time. A really underrated, overlooked classic. Highly recommended and in my top 5 favourite films of all time. more

What an intense movie! I had never seen David Thewlis before this, and I immediately wanted to see more of him. A brutal piece of cinema. Scenes still come back to me from time to time, and I only saw it once... in 1995. more

Mike Leigh's controversial masterpiece is by turns sardonic, hideous and exhilarating. It is both a scorching social commentary and a character study, but unconventional in both respects. Naked opens on its hero sexually abusing an unknown woman in a dark alley, thereby introducing us to a cold and desperate landscape unlike anything we are likely to have seen. While retaining a sense of irony and humor, it is underlined by an ominous musical score and depictions of brutal sexual violence. All the acting is good, but David Thewlis makes this movie his own. With his portrayal of this... more

A boring film with boring character's discussing boring things. I didn't care for a single soul in this film. I guess I didn't quite get why all of them are so angry and the film didn't explore their pain properly. All every character does in this film is shout at eachother; have sex and discuss topics that make little sense. The performance by David Thewlis is the only reason to recommend this film. Sure it's raw and all that but I could care less. Just because a film is raw and depicts the gritty side of life doesn't make it good. more

Amazon Verified Purchase ( What's this? ) Having seen this movie upon its release in 1993, I remember seeing a tough, brutal little picture with a great leading performance by David Thewlis. I didn't actually remember liking it, however. Thirteen years later, I've had the pleasure of revisiting Mike Leigh's "Naked" in its Criterion issue. And being older and more savvy, I've discovered the film as if it were my first time viewing it. And what a lot of pleasures there are to be had in "Naked." First, David Thewlis is brilliant! The ferocity of his performance captivated audiences around the... more