Unemployed Johnny (David Thewlis) has to flee Manchester and heads to London where he calls at the home of his ex-girlfriend Louise (Lesley Sharp).
After he is admitted by Louise’s flatmate Sophie (Katrin Cartlidge), the full extent of Johnny’s bitterness, conflict and disaffection with the world begins to show itself through acerbic wit and sexual violence.
When his ex-girlfriend returns, it’s clear that the two have a lot of resentment towards each other and that Louise is irritated by his presence.
Eventually, Johnny sets off on a strange nomadic evening through London, unloading his theories onto anyone who will listen and making a mess of his life and everyone he encounters.
We see him grasping for retribution instead of understanding, and devoid of empathy.
Mike Leigh prowls new working-class territory – a million miles away from the sly humour of Abigail’s Party(1977) – for this grim tale about a Mancunian misfit in London, lashing out unmercifully at everyone he meets.
David Thewlis, in an award-winning portrayal, is outstanding as a deeply nasty 1990s version of Alfie(1966), and Leigh’s bravura mix of comedy, tragedy, violence and warmth marks this uncompromising exposé as British film-making at its finest.
Johnny
David Thewlis Louise
Lesley Sharp Sophie
Katrin Cartlidge Jeremy
Greg Cruttwell Sandra
Claire Skinner Brian
Peter Wight Archie
Ewen Bremner Maggie
Susan Vidler Giselle
Elizabeth Berrington Mr Halpern
Peter Whitman Masseuse
Carolina Giammetto Chauffeur
Robert Putt Victim
Lynda Rooke
Director
Mike Leigh
Video
Related Posts
Number 96 (1974) Following the incredible success of the TV series Number 96, Cash-Harmon Productions brought the residents of Australia's favourite block of…
Notting Hill (1999) The Four Weddings and A Funeral (1994) team produced another smash with this charming tale about charming, bumbling bookshop owner William…
Sirens (1993) A repressed British couple, Anthony and Estella Campion, become inexorably intoxicated by the sultry air surrounding artist Norman Lindsay and…
National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) As in its funnier predecessors, National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) and European Vacation (1985), the plot here revolves around the Griswold family, led…
Night Of The Living Dead (1968) George Romero's directorial debut was shot in black and white over several weekends in Pennsylvania and chronicles the desperate efforts…
Super Mario Brothers (1993) Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo bring the famous Nintendo video game to life - But can two Brooklyn plumbers save…
No Blade of Grass (1970) In the near future a combination of extreme pollution and a virus which destroys grass, rice and barley, has led…
Naked Gun 33⅓ : The Final Insult (1994) This second chip off the Naked Gun block follows the hallowed tradition of wallowing in stupidity. Still, it's hard to hate a…
When his ex-girlfriend returns, it’s clear that the two have a lot of resentment towards each other and that Louise is irritated by his presence.
