loading loading...

Nil By Mouth Details

1998 DVD Certificate 18.gif
  • Rated:
  • 70
  • from 8753 members

Gary Oldman's directorial debut offers a gritty, profane look inside the mean streets of South London, where drug addiction, poverty and abuse hold sway. This is a semi-autobiographical picture of paternal anger and alcohol abuse from father Ray (a menacing and remarkable Ray Winstone), causing bouts of often unbearable tension .. Read more

Starring Ray Winstone, Kathy Burke, Charlie Creed-Miles
Director Gary Oldman
Genres Drama

loading loading...

Nil By Mouth

Gary Oldman's directorial debut offers a gritty, profane look inside the mean streets of South London, where drug addiction, poverty and abuse hold sway. This is a semi-autobiographical picture of paternal anger and alcohol abuse from father Ray (a menacing and remarkable Ray Winstone), causing bouts of often unbearable tension and shocking domestic violence against his family. The son (Creed-Miles) is battling heroin while his weary resigned wife Valerie (Burke, in an incredible performance) tries to keep out of his way. A superb and cautionary tale of the downward spiral of self-destruction and tested loyalties, shot through with true humour. With a score by Eric Clapton and winner of the Best Actress award for Kathy Burke at the Cannes Film Festival.

Starring Ray Winstone, Kathy Burke, Charlie Creed-Miles
Director Gary Oldman
Studio 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time DVD: 2 hrs 3 mins
Certificate DVD Certificate 18.gif
Genres Drama
Language English
Released DVD: 16 Apr 2004
Production year: 1998
Format DVD
  • Critics' reviews (3) of Nil By Mouth

    View all
  • 5 stars out of 5

    This harrowing directorial debut from actor Gary Oldman centres on violence and alcoholism within a working-class south London family. Although the film is not specifically autobiographical, Oldman has drawn from his own background to create a portrait of dysfunctional domestic life that is both convincing and compelling. Ray Winstone is brilliant in the central role as the alienated husband and father trapped in a descending spiral of drunken rage, while Kathy Burke matches Winstone's intensity — and won the best actress award at Cannes — for her performance as the brutalised wife. Though uncompromising in its portrayal of violence, Nil by Mouth tempers its bleakness with moments of tender understanding and wounding insight; in short, it's a must-see.

    • Radio Times
  • 2 stars out of 4

    A bleak and unsparing account of devastated life in the slums, where drinks and drugs provide a momentary escape and masculinity is measured by the size of the fist; this semi-autobiographical drama is given vitality by the conviction of its performances.

    • Halliwell's Film Guide
  • Most helpful member's review of Nil By Mouth

    View all
  • 33 out of 36 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 0 stars

    Foul-mouthed and uninteresting.

    Couldn't get through the first fifteen minutes of the film due to the language (of which there is no warning on the label). Bad language is a fact of life and in most films, it just portrays reality. But in this film, almost every other word is an obscenity and it so detracts from the film that you can't really get the story line. Finally just had to hit the eject button and send it back.

      • A customer from Derby, England
  • Most recent members' review of Nil By Mouth

    View all
  • 3 out of 3 people found this review helpful

    Rated - 2 stars

    Nil By Mouth (1998)

    Couldn't get through the first fifteen minutes of the film due to the language (of which there is no warning on the label). Bad language is a fact of life and in most films, it just portrays reality. But in this film, almost every other word is an obscenity and it so detracts from the film that you can't really get the story line. Finally just had to hit the eject button and send it back.

      • A customer from London, England
  • News and features

    View all
    Nil By Mouth

    White witch meets prince

    • 08 Dec 2005

    The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe received a royal premiere in London last night at the Royal Albert Hall. The tale of four children who find themselves in the magical world of Narnia was watched by a host of stars with the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, who met the cast. The biggest star of the film, alongside Aslan the lion, voiced by Liam Neeson, will be the White Witch, Tilda Swinton (Orlando, Vanilla Sky, Constantine). Swinton met the royal couple Read more

  • More like this

    View all

Rating breakdown

8,753 Member ratings
  • 100
875
  • 90
788
  • 80
1,764
  • 70
1,721
  • 60
1,418
  • 50
847
  • 40
519
  • 30
330
  • 20
320
  • 10
171

Related user collection

50 auteurs, 50 great films (50)

Average rating: 4.68   93.6% from 58 members

by: Stephen Simpson from Croydon, England

Buy from the LOVEFiLM shop


    • Nil By Mouth
    • DVD: £4.93
      Free Delivery
    • RRP £15.79 (you save: 69%)
    • Gary Oldman's directorial debut offers a gritty, profane look inside the mean streets of South London, where drug addiction, poverty and abuse hold sway. This is a semi-autobiographical picture of ...