Naked

Writer-director Mike Leigh's scalding 1993 “angry young man” drama stars David Thewlis in a Cannes award-winning performance as working-class antihero Johnny, a man with scabrous wit and a cynical worldview. Although thoroughly unlikeable, Johnny's uncorrupted, well-articulated rage against the establishment has a rather noble quality. The film begins with Johnny running (after a back-alley sexual encounter gone wrong) and ends with him hobbling away. In between, he crosses paths with several indelible characters, who are developed through Leigh's process of intense and extensive improvisation. Especially memorable are the late Katrin Cartlidge as Sophie, the drugged-out roommate of former girlfriend Louise (Lesley Sharp), on whose doorstep Johnny shows up unannounced (with Louise at work, Johnny quickly charms Sophie into sex); and Greg Cruttwell as Jeremy, a predatory, contemptuous, and sexually sadistic landlord who makes Johnny seem like Tony Robbins. Naked was Leigh's darkest film at the time, a marked departure from the down-but-not-out uplift of his earlier Life Is Sweet and High Hopes. Making its high-definition debut on Blu-ray, extras include audio commentary (featuring Leigh, Thewlis, and Cartlidge), Leigh's 1987 short film The Short and Curlies, an in-depth interview with Leigh, an interview with filmmaker Neil LaBute, and a booklet. Although it's a dark ride, this is highly recommended. (D. Liebenson)