How to review your favourite film, or even worse, how to review your favourite film when that film is Mike Leigh's Naked?

Naked starts of rough and only gets bleeker. But that's only a small part of what makes this a masterpiece.
First and foremost Naked is abouth David Thewlis' character Johnny, unenmployed both by choice and by circumstance, who personifies the ugly side most commonly shoved under the carpet in favour of the success stories. Yes, we're talking post-Thatcher Britain, but as far as I can tell there's many similairities to present time, and the world Leigh shows us is not limited to a certain era. But it might be limited to big cities.
Johnny is a man who…

Naked is the perfect specimen of a film where the sum equals the parts. That may sound easy to do, but I've never seen a film do it better than this one does. When I say that, I don't mean that it's exactly as good as the camera work, the script, the acting, directing and so forth lead to. I mean that every aspect of this film perfectly reflects the character and the world he sees.

The camera work is fairly straightforward and stays pretty much out of the way. It's involved enough to create the sense of motion in the dialogue or pacing of the mind of the character but without ever being distracting. Thewlis, for his part, plays…

Years ago, the first time I saw this, I watched it dozens and dozens of times in a row because I loved it so much. It took me awhile to get over my little Naked addiction. I take that back, not an addiction, but It's an obsession I'll admit.

I think that obsession has returned but can you blame me?

Ok you can blame me, but whether it's the first time or the the 100th time (it's probably the 666th time I've seen this, just a guess) I've always loved this film. I love the philosophy within the rich dialogue. I love how no matter how many times I see this, I still get lost in the dialogue. Always manages…

Relentless and absolutely unforgettable, powered by searing raw power and pessimistic intelligence. Mike Leigh literally scrounges the sewers in a bleak exploration of lost souls desperately seeking and ultimately failing to find something in their futile existences. I disagreed with many of the borderline nihilistic ideas floating throughout this uncompromising experience, but never did I want to stop listening. Leigh's simplistic direction acts as a vehicle for existential examinations and deft character studies. His distinctive improvisational style is at full effect here -with Andrew Dickson's evocative score ever-present - the entire film runs like each event and character is unraveling and crumbling right before our eyes.

This is one of the first films that has actually inspired me to get…

What a movie!!! Honestly it has been very long since my mind was blown away in this fashion. I am totally honest when I say that after Oldboy this is the only movie which has come close to knocking me out. I was stunned and left speechless at the end of it. The characters in the movie are so disturbing and truly harrowing. Definitely this is not a movie for everyone. It is filled with incredibly unsettling scenes which will haunt you for days after watching it. David Thewlis plays a character which will be his best performance no matter what he plays after this or what he has played before this. His character is so raw and distinct that…

This was something else.

Set in London, and drenched with gaunt 90s nostalgia, we follow our anti-hero and philosopher around and into the underbelly of London. Johnny (David Thewlis) explores London after fleeing Manchester and interacts with everyone from unstable couples to lonely security guards to goony landlords to ex-girlfriends -- you name it.

There are no heroes here. You aren't cheering for anyone, though some characters are more likable than others. It isn't a pep rally, no winning, no losing -- it is just an experience. You're a peripheral character in another's dream. You watch, you learn, you're amazed, you're sad, you're happy, you're laughing, you're sad again.

That's how this film is, take it or leave it. It…

What a movie!!! Honestly it has been very long since my mind was blown away in this fashion. I am totally honest when I say that after Oldboy this is the only movie which has come close to knocking me out. I was stunned and left speechless at the end of it. The characters in the movie are so disturbing and truly harrowing. Definitely this is not a movie for everyone. It is filled with incredibly unsettling scenes which will haunt you for days after watching it. David Thewlis plays a character which will be his best performance no matter what he plays after this or what he has played before this. His character is so raw and distinct that…