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Nil By Mouth on DVD (1998)

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Average rating: 69%
1213511172057
3.5
from 2,584 members
 
Starring: Ray Winstone, Kathy Burke, Charlie Creed-Miles
Director: Gary Oldman
Studio: 20TH CENTURY FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT
Run time: 123 mins
Certificate: 18
User collections: c-movies, fuked up films, Angry England!, Dark films about death, life and our eternal pessimism., I like these, you might too!
Genres: Drama
Languages: English
Released: 16/04/2004

Brief synopsis of 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.

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Critics Reviews

Rating of 5 stars out of 5 Radio Times

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.

Rating of 2 stars out of 4 Halliwell's Film Guide

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.

Time Out

The actor Gary Oldman's debut as writer/director is so uncompromisingly honest, it makes other portraits of... Read more on www.timeout.com

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Members Reviews

Reviews Voted Most Helpful

Rated - 0 starsFoul-mouthed and uninteresting.

A customer from Derby, England , 28/09/2007

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.

  14 out of 14 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 5 starsThe word 'Gritty' just doesn't quite cover it...

benspencer benspencer from Loughborough , 09/02/2005

It really doesn't come any more Birtish or grittier than this. And it is one of the most outwardly shocking films I have ever seen. But at the same time, it is absolutely superb.

The directing is a good example - I have always respected Gary Oldman for his fantastic acting abilities and I respect him even more after seeing this directorial outing. He has filmed it in such a bland way that the colours, brightness and contrast add so much to the already dull concrete of urban, working class London.

And the acting is just out of this world. In my humble opinion, Ray Winston matches any Oscar performance you will see.. if not beat them!

But I must underline the shocking element of this film! Approach with caution.

  20 out of 36 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 3 starsDark Days

AnotherNightIn from Merseyside , 14/11/2004

Hard-hitting portrait of unloved masculinity in the underbelly of British working class and the violence born of an inability to communicate.

Oldman and his cast sketch expertly the warm but ultimately hollow banter that acts as a shaky substitute for honesty and self-knowledge. Despite such grim subject matter the film manages to retain a sense of compassion and hope that sadly may not exist in the real world.

  10 out of 13 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 5 starsAlmost a masterpeice.

Iain Holland from Brighton, UK , 11/12/2004

I have to admit a bias. Kathy Burke could spend a week reading the price tags off items on a Woolworth's sweet counter and I would be totally spellbound.

I can think of no movie that gets so close to a real life (and extremely harrowing) story than this. You could, quite literally, find these characters very easily and it is this ease that makes this movie so disturbing.

There is no way to enjoy this movie - but that's exactly the point, it is not to be enjoyed. It's as daring and disturbing as 'A Short Film About Killing' which explores the manner of murder in all it's grisly reality.

I promise you'll remember this film and, like great art perhaps, you'll probably want to look away and condemn it.

  7 out of 7 people found this review helpful
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Most Recent Reviews

Rated - 3 starsDark Days

AnotherNightIn from Merseyside , 14/11/2004

Hard-hitting portrait of unloved masculinity in the underbelly of British working class and the violence born of an inability to communicate.

Oldman and his cast sketch expertly the warm but ultimately hollow banter that acts as a shaky substitute for honesty and self-knowledge. Despite such grim subject matter the film manages to retain a sense of compassion and hope that sadly may not exist in the real world.

  10 out of 13 people found this review helpful
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Rated - 5 starsHAS TO BE RAY WINSTONS FINEST HOUR

A customer from Nottingham , 01/02/2006

This film is completely awesome, yes it is depressing as another critic has commented but the acting is incredibly powerful and full of real emotion, i would say this is probably ray at his best especially the scene with his drunken ramble before he smashes up the flat, phenomenal acting and kathy burke is outstanding too. fab!!

  2 out of 3 people found this review helpful
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