Newly remastered in 4K by the BFI National Archive, NAKED Opens at BFI Southbank, HOME Manchester, IFI Dublin and Cinemas UK-wide on 12 November 2021
Newly remastered, Mike Leigh’s NAKED, is a tour de force of acting from David Thewlis, still a bit of a newbie at the time. Set in the London of the early 1990’s, the character he plays, runs from Manchester to escape being beaten up or prosecuted, and arrives in London where his life slowly spirals even more out of control. The film won Mike Leigh the Cannes best director prize, and deservedly so, the direction is spot on. David Thewlis also won the best actor award.
Worth a watch for anyone who likes Mike Leigh of course, NAKED seems very much part of the times it was set when now viewed for the first time. The power, Thatcher years of the 80’s were over, and the rise of technology, along with mobile phones and personal computers, didn’t really take off until the late 90’s. There was almost a feeling of something being over but still waiting for the new; a sort of lost few years. The main character ‘Johnny’, and those who are set around him, including a much younger and very good Gina McKee, all seem aimless and without much hope, which echoes this feeling perfectly. However, in true Mike Leigh style, they are all acting their socks off and this in itself is worth a look, but it is the central performance by David Thewlis, which carries the film with a brilliant monologue, and stream of consciousness that perfectly echoes the urban decay and the times his character lives in.
Harsh, brutal, sexist, shallow, self-entitled, but somehow, NAKED, is also about the last age of innocence before technology revolutionised a way of living that had been around since after the second world war. Pre iPhone, pre-lap-top, pre-social media, NAKED is a time capsule, a record of the period, and it is worth applauding and appreciating just for that. It is almost a swansong for all that went before in the working-class urban jungle. For those seeking strong narrative drive, and story, well Mike Leigh was never a champion of that, so look elsewhere. Instead, here is a close up, honest, brutal, warts and all, sometimes blackly funny, sometimes just pathetic, sometimes very human, look at how many lived at the time. It is worth the restoration and digitisation just for that.
What also really shines out in a very timeless way, is the wonderful cinematography from Dick Pope. A much-applauded cinematographer in his own right, Pope has also been a long-time collaborator of Mike Leigh’s and the photography and framing of NAKED is brilliant. Art house-y, auteurish, but honest and very well made, NAKED, deserves its place in time.
Review by fellow writer/director, Jane A. Foster, who loves to support all British films, and is also a cat lover. janecreates@23films.com
