Naked (Mike Leigh - 1993)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plgqL...eature=related
Relentlessly bleak but frequently hilarious,
Naked is the story of Johnny, serial rapist and general misanthrope, who in the beginning of the film flees Manchester for London fearing repercussions for his latest back-alley exploits. He briefly shacks up with his ex-girlfriend (and her flat-mate), who he antagonizes with great fervor, and winds up back on the streets soon enough. With wry wit and a belly full of rage he wanders aimlessly, "spending much of his time ranting at strangers", to quote the imdb-summary. One of these strangers is played by Ewen Bremner, who delivers an inspired, memorable turn (scene of which is in the youtube clip) in a small role preceding his breakthrough in Trainspotting.
Naked is, as mentioned, in many ways a depressing film; the places are generally ****holes and the people are generally in need of a bath and a purpose. Not much happens in a traditional sense, and it could easily have become too much of a downer, were it not for David Thewlis' incredible central performance. His energetic, smart portrayal of Johnny makes this aggressively nihilistic, often cruel character somehow deeply fascinating, even likable, and is almost hypnotizing in his exchanges with the strangers he encounters. It is possibly the very best performance of the 90s in my opinion.
Naked is a many-layered masterpiece, rich on atmosphere, interesting ideas and great dialogue.