Nil By Mouth Details

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.

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.