Finally! I have been waiting for what feels like forever for someone to add clips from ‘Naked’ into YouTube, a film that I think is shamefully overlooked and I suspect many people born after a certain age are generally unaware about even if they do know the more recent award-winning films of director Mike Leigh. This is his masterpiece, and Johnny played by David Thewlis is one of my favorite cinematic creations of all time. I identify a great deal with the toxic street philosopher who reminds me a bit of myself when I was 20 with a mind corroded from thought. The rant with the unsuspecting interlocuter Brian is just brilliant, almost inconceivable that it was created through improvisation… just adding further to the talent of David Thewlis. Incidentally the speech in this clip is where ‘poxy mint’ (the title of my other blog) comes from.
Savour these clips and rent the dvd. My review of this film can be read here
Clip#1 first part of a lengthy philosophical debate between Brian and Johnny:
Clip#2 End of discussion ‘the omlette… stinks’
3 Comments
Here, Here! A film I watched far too many times in university, and has so many iconic images, dialogue bits, and an overall nihilism which few films have ever captured. Mike Leigh will always be considered a master filmmaker for offering up this sublime piece of cinema. It is a real tragedy that Katrin Cartlidge died at such a good age, she leaves a strong impression in this film, even in the immense shadow of Thewlis.
I don’t usually factor the ‘repeatability’ factor into the equation of determining how good a film is, but I have to say I have probably watched this film a dozen times and I never tire of it… primarily because of the performances… it is so rich in the subtleties of the performances. The deadpan “what’s it like to be you?” line to the Scot, the butterfly effect dialogue, it is all pitch perfect.
I have yet to see Vera Drake, do you think it is worth a look in? The only other Leigh films I have seen are: Topsy-Turvy, All or Nothing, Secrets and Lies, and Career Girls, all great.
BTW there are several other YouTube clips of Naked online, I just limited myself to these because this is my favorite part of the film.
Nice! Grateful you linked. I still freak out jealously every time thinking that Thewlis ad-libbed a lot of his stuff.
Vera Drake is an important historical flick, but VERY brit, I’m thinking. Everybody is very stoic, as events of enormous consequences unfold. Staunton, tho. Great freaking actress, massively unappreciated. I’ve loved her work ever since Peter’s Friends.