Plot
Johnny flees Manchester for London, to avoid a beating from the family of a girl he has raped. There he finds an old girlfriend...
Release Year: 1993
Rating: 7.9/10 (12,120 voted)
Director:
Mike Leigh
Stars: David Thewlis, Lesley Sharp, Katrin Cartlidge
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.
Cast: David Thewlis
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Johnny
Lesley Sharp
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Louise Clancy
Katrin Cartlidge
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Sophie
Greg Cruttwell
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Jeremy G. Smart
Claire Skinner
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Sandra
Peter Wight
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Brian
Ewen Bremner
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Archie
Susan Vidler
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Maggie
Deborah MacLaren
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Woman in Window
Gina McKee
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Cafe Girl
Carolina Giammetta
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Masseuse
Elizabeth Berrington
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Giselle
Darren Tunstall
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Poster Man
Robert Putt
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Chauffeur
Lynda Rooke
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Victim
Release Date: February 1994
Filming Locations: London, England, UK
Gross: $1,769,305
(USA)
Technical Specs
Runtime:|
South Korea:
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.
Quotes: Johnny:
I know it's a bit cheeky but, er, I'm a cheeky young monkey!
User Review
One of the best films of the Nineties
Rating:
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.
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