Starring: David Thewlis, Lesley Sharp, Katrin Cartlidge, Greg Cruttwell, Peter Wight, Ewen Bremner, Susan Vidler, Claire Skinner
Certificate: 18
Genre: Drama
Awards: None
Naked may be one of the most underrated films in the history of cinema. Everything about it is just great. The dark british film is one for the history books...
The film follows Johnny (Thewlis). After a street-side rape, he flees Manchester and ends up in London. Here he calls upon ex-girlfriend, Louise (Sharp). He stays there for a while before braving the streets of the dark city.
The story is more of an odyssey than an actual story as Johnny's journey takes us from character to character. The brilliant Thewlis brings it all together. His rantings on god and the universe are a wonder to behold. We don't know if Johnny believes anything he says or whether he just wants to rile people up. His behaviour does seem self-destructive, yet he is able to bully everyone via his well read mind which confuses and confudles even the most open-minded people.
The thing is, even though Johnny is a mad rapist, the audience cannot help siding with him. His arguments are so well thought out, he starts to make sense to us as we become more and more entwined world. This is almost surrealism dressed up to look like kitchen-sink realism.
Although the film is dark and depressing, it does have a comic side. Johnny superiority to all inevitably includes a few jokes at the victims expense and we can't help but laugh even if we feel guilty at the same time.
The one gripe I have with the film is the use of the antagonist Jeremy (Cruttwell). He is shown almost at the beginning even though he does not become part of Johnny or Louise's story until about two thirds through the film. Although the performance is fine, it's just irritating to have to cut back to him when Johnny is so captivating.
Naked is an absolutely brilliant film with one of the best performances I have ever seen, coming from David Thewlis. This is career high and it's a real shame that he wasn't nominated for an oscar. Perhaps if Mike Leigh had been as well known as he is now, all would be different.
******Genius
No comments:
Post a Comment