Naked (1993)

Director: Mike Leigh
Writer:    Mike Leigh
Cast:       David Thewlis, Lesley Sharp, Katrin Cartlidge

Johnny flees Manchester to London, to avoid getting a beating from the family of of a girl he has raped. He visits his former girlfriend's house and spends his time sometimes wandering and subjecting people he meets with his Philosophical rants.

I loved it the first time I watched this films a few years back and this time round I loved it even more. It is like listening to 'True Detective's Rust Cohle without a murder mystery to solve and with plenty of wit. Johnny is a philosophical bully and there is also a character called Jeremy (Greg Curtwell) who is a physical bully. Both of them don't have much regard for the lives of people who are just getting by with mundane jobs. The rant Johnny has with Brain, the 'Insecurity' officer, would be the high point of what he has to say. It is in my opinion Mike Leigh's best work even though it is slightly different to what he is generally famous for.

Louise: So what happened, were you bored in Manchester?

Johnny: Was I bored? No, I wasn't fuckin' bored. I'm never bored. That's the trouble with everybody - you're all so bored. You've had nature explained to you and you're bored with it, you've had the living body explained to you and you're bored with it, you've had the universe explained to you and you're bored with it, so now you want cheap thrills and, like, plenty of them, and it doesn't matter how tawdry or vacuous they are as long as it's new as long as it's new as long as it flashes and fuckin' bleeps in forty fuckin' different colors. So whatever else you can say about me, I'm not fuckin' bored.

Rating: 5/5

Secrets & Lies (1996)

Director: Mike Leigh
Writer:    Mike Leigh
Cast:      Timothy Spall, Brenda Blethyn, Phyllis Logan
A successful black woman traces her birth mother to a lower-class white woman, who at first denies it; emotions run high as everyone's secrets are exposed.

Its another masterpiece from Mike Leigh. Much of the dialog is improvised by the actors who pull off tremendous performances. Even the minor characters are excellent.

Rating: 4.5/5

Meantime (1984)

Director: Mike Leigh
Writer:    Mike Leigh
Cast:      Tim Roth, Gary Oldman, Phil Daniels
Meantime is a TV film made by Mike Leigh looking at how dole affects the under class brits. Its set during the recession under Margaret Thatcher's premiership.

Its more of a black comedy and not like a Ken Loach feature as the plot would suggest. Its very well acted and is a nice little film.

Rating: 3.5/5