9.1/10
Mike Leigh is not new to the concept of unhappiness among the living. He has made films that evoke two kinds of emotions; happiness and sorrow. His slightly-controversial and challenging "Naked", however, if probably the most cynical film the man will ever… More
9.1/10
Mike Leigh is not new to the concept of unhappiness among the living. He has made films that evoke two kinds of emotions; happiness and sorrow. His slightly-controversial and challenging "Naked", however, if probably the most cynical film the man will ever make. It was depressing beyond belief, set in a world where hope doesn't seem like a "thing" or much of an option, and it takes a certain kind of viewer to go through with finishing it. I can see why it's provoking in perhaps both the right and wrong ways; but as always, I have my opinions.
Exactly what did I make of the film? Well, my first reaction was that this was one of the most depressing films I had ever seen in my life, and another reaction was that it was also one of the deepest. Mike Leigh crafts human dramas through both style, wit, and an always complex study of human beings. But unlike some of his other more accessible films, "Naked" is not fun; it is not even "entertaining". But it's not meant to be. We watch it because we are interested, intrigued; fascinated, even. I know that I watched it for those reasons, and maybe even a few more. Art does not always need to be pleasant and easy to digest, and I think Leigh knows that, and that's why he's able to make material as bleak and depressing as this deep, thoughtful, and even philosophical.
Johnny (David Thewlis, in his best performance) is a lonely drifter who is having sex with a woman in an alley when the situation turns into a rape; the woman escapes and runs for help, sending the character searching for an escape route himself. After that, he drives out of town (erm...city) and decides to just drop in to see what condition his past lover was in. Upon arriving to her home, he meets her flat-mate; whom he manipulates and seduces into having sex with him. Now, sex in this film is an act that the characters participate in to try and feel an emotion. Most of them are incapable and without love; with Johnny taking advantage of those who are caught up in such things. In fact, I'd say Johnny takes advantage of just about anyone around him. He's a wise-cracker and a night owl; walking the streets, not looking for someone to talk to, but someone to provoke.
Roger Ebert said in his review for the film that Johnny exists only for destruction. He's right, you know. Johnny's sole purpose in life is to make people feel like utter shit, and he succeeds. He's not a bad person, but Leigh wants to make sure that his story is without its heroes, and Johnny it therefore just another character, a drifter, in a cruel, cruel world.
Johnny's life living under the same room as his former girlfriend (and her flat-mate, of course) is a complicated one. He meets the cruel, perhaps even sexually sadistic landlord. He faces communication barriers at their worst. He grows bored of sex and decides to walk the streets at night instead. He meets many people, one of them being a man (Peter Wight) who has "the most tedious job in the world": to speak in the words of Johnny himself. I suppose Johnny is simply bored throughout his life and we are witnessing him acting out, or maybe there's something deeper going on. It's suggested many, many times throughout the film that he might have psychological problems that are affecting both his mental and physical health. His skin is pale, he's most likely anorexic, and he along with the other characters smokes a lot. I guess it relieves him of stress. And it was these sort of realizations that helped me to identify with Leigh's complicated creature; his creation. His "monster".
Accompanied by little music, crafted mostly through pure improvisation, and depicting the seedy underbelly of humanity at its ugliest, "Naked" is both bleak and ambitious in equal doses. I admit it's difficult to watch at times and almost heartless, but all the criticism towards it (such as the claims that the film is just-plain misogynistic and cruel) are, in my opinion, untrue. Mike Leigh has crafted a film that makes us feel even when its characters cannot. We care for them because they're so pathetic; yet so realistic. It's not a film for everyone, and if you want a kinder, easier to swallow depiction of the brighter side of humanity; then look elsewhere. But if you are curious, and if you like a good art-house film, then "Naked" offers something both thought-provoking and truly unique. To say I loved it is, perhaps, misleading. I admired it and more. I love films that I enjoy. I did not enjoy "Naked". But admiration can go a long way, and deep films deserve to be praised, don't they? So there you go.