Naked (1993)
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A loquacious and intellectually aggressive man wanders through London, engaging in a series of confrontational encounters with those he meets along his path.
The story
In a Manchester alley, Johnny, a loquacious intellectual and conspiracy theorist, is involved in a physical altercation with a woman who flees from him. He subsequently flees to Dalston, an area in east London, where he seeks refuge at the home of a former girlfriend, Louise. Louise lives with two flatmates, Sophie and Sandra. While staying there, Johnny seduces Sophie and begins to wander through central London, engaging in lengthy, intense monologues about his worldview to various strangers, including a security guard and a man hanging posters, as he navigates a landscape of urban isolation.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After a confrontation in Manchester, Johnny flees to London and stays with his former girlfriend Louise and her roommates. He seduces her friend Sophie but treats Louise coldly. While wandering London, he engages in long, intellectualized monologues with a security guard and a man hanging posters, the latter of whom eventually assaults him. Meanwhile, a man named Jeremy enters Louise's home and rapes Sophie. When a battered Johnny arrives at the house, the women try to hide his condition from the sleeping Jeremy. After Sandra returns early and tends to Johnny's wounds, Jeremy is driven off. Sophie, feeling discarded by Johnny, leaves the house. Finally, Louise and Johnny appear to reconcile, but as soon as Louise leaves for work, Johnny takes the money left by Jeremy and retreats into the streets alone.
- First release year
- 1993
- Runtime (minutes)
- 131
- Production countries
- United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Mike Leigh
- Writers
- Mike Leigh · writer
- Cast and characters
- David Thewlis · Johnny; Lesley Sharp · Louise; Katrin Cartlidge · Sophie; Greg Cruttwell · Jeremy G. Smart/Sebastian Hawk; Claire Skinner · Sandra; Peter Wight · Brian; Ewen Bremner · Archie; Susan Vidler · Maggie
- Genres
- black comedy; comedy-drama
- Themes
- alienation; sexual violence; misogyny; addiction; depression
- Tone and mood
- dark; monochromatic; claustrophobic
- Setting
- Manchester and London, 1990s.
- Premise and plot tags
- urban existentialist; tragicomedy
- Source material / true-story basis
- A play titled Little Malcolm and His Struggle Against the Eunuchs
- Content notes
- sexual violence
- Reception
- The film received mostly positive reviews, with critics praising the lead performance and the direction, while some critics criticized the portrayal of the female characters.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 89% · scale: percentage · review count: 61
- Awards and nominations
- Best Director · Cannes Film Festival · win; Best Actor · Cannes Film Festival · win
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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