Naked

REVIEW
A brilliant, terrifying and undeniably real vision of the welfare state. Leigh takes us on a picaresque journey following Johnny (Thewlis in a stunning performance), our 27-year-old protagonist (or is that antagonist?), an embittered, overly loquacious ne'er-do-well who spews forth a relentlessly nihilistic tirade against man, God and society. After sexually assaulting a woman in Manchester, he flees to London and insinuates himself on his former girlfriend, Louise, and immediately beds her roommate, Sophie. Quickly tiring of their company, he hits the streets for a midnight sojourn, on which he waxes eloquent with every stranger about his apocalyptic philosophies. Leigh does a brilliant job of framing Johnny's rage against a backdrop of urban decay.