Nil by Mouth (1998)
Charlie Creed-Miles, Chrissie Cotterill, Edna Dore, Jamie Foreman, Jon Morrison ... (see more) , Kathy Burke , Laila Morse , Ray Winstone , Steve Sweeney
Acclaimed actor Gary Oldman makes his directorial debut with this searing drama starring Kathy Burke, Ray Winstone and Charlie Creed-Miles. The film tracks the lives of residents barely surviving in the notorious neighborhood of South London, where everyone is striving to escape a drug-addled world ... (read more) Acclaimed actor Gary Oldman makes his directorial debut with this searing drama starring Kathy Burke, Ray Winstone and Charlie Creed-Miles. The film tracks the lives of residents barely surviving in the notorious neighborhood of South London, where everyone is striving to escape a drug-addled world of crushing poverty and overwhelming claustrophobia.
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R, 2 hrs. 8 min.
Directed by:
Gary Oldman
Release Date: Feb 06, 1998
DVD Release Date: Dec 23, 2003
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Amazing performances all round, and amazingly powerful, this is about as grittiest as you can get. Brilliant.
This film has such unblinking honesty to it that you just have a feeling this type of situation was close to Gary Oldman. He has created a searing slice of life drama about spousal abuse, domestic violence, drug addiction, alcoholism, poverty and the... (read more) This film has such unblinking honesty to it that you just have a feeling this type of situation was close to Gary Oldman. He has created a searing slice of life drama about spousal abuse, domestic violence, drug addiction, alcoholism, poverty and the rough life of just living in South London. But it's the scenes showing warmth, humor and even love between the characters that will shock you. Kathy Burke and Ray Winstone are brilliant. The rest of the performances are unbelievably natural.
Not only is Gary Oldman one of the best actors ever, he is also a capable director/writer. thes film is loosely based on Oldman`s childhood. that fact is actually disturbing after watching the movie. i thought to myself, have i ever watched a movie w... (read more) Not only is Gary Oldman one of the best actors ever, he is also a capable director/writer. thes film is loosely based on Oldman`s childhood. that fact is actually disturbing after watching the movie. i thought to myself, have i ever watched a movie with this much bad language? wll i looked it up and here is a interesting fact :The word "fuck" and its variations are used 522 times, an average of 4.25 times per minute, a higher rate than any other film to date (March 2008), with the exception of the documentary Fuck (2005), which holds the record with 824 uses of the word. The word "cunt" is used 82 times in this film. Ray winstone impressed me with his performance. a genuine force of nature , or destructive nature sounds more right.
I was put off by the hand held camera and the fast editing. Great script and story but a wasted opportunity
Brilliant movie Directed by Gary Oldman with a top performance by Ray Winstone.
Even Mo from Eastenders pops up in a descent role and i never knew she was Oldmans sister in real life.
Gritty, with stark images of a run-down South-East London. British working poor in a movie directed by a man who knows what he's talking about. Gary Oldman's directional debut is nothing for the sensitive amongst us. Swear words are a constant compan... (read more) Gritty, with stark images of a run-down South-East London. British working poor in a movie directed by a man who knows what he's talking about. Gary Oldman's directional debut is nothing for the sensitive amongst us. Swear words are a constant companion, especially for the sad main character Ray (a brilliant Ray Winstone), a family man with a knack for brutal endeavours that too often end in alcoholic frustration, with wife and son suffering form more than just cuts and bruises. Lost in life - an oftentimes moving and shocking family tragedy about common people having common problems but who're unable to really deal with them. "Nil By Mouth" is like a smack in the face. But a healthy one.
Winstone and Burke are fantastic, although the unrelenting bleakness is a bit too much for my tastes.
Aside from being a film second in the history book for the most occurrences of the word "fuck", Nil By Mouth is an incredibly powerful portrayal of director and writer Gary Oldman's experiences growing up on a London council estate.
Full Review:
ht... (read more) Aside from being a film second in the history book for the most occurrences of the word "fuck", Nil By Mouth is an incredibly powerful portrayal of director and writer Gary Oldman's experiences growing up on a London council estate.
Full Review:
http://www.andycarrington.co.uk/nilbymouth
Electrifying East End drama from possibly my favourite British actor, Gary Oldman, who writes and directs a very personal, truthful and frank account of the trials and tribulations of a dysfunctional family. The family, lead by the incredible Ray Win... (read more) Electrifying East End drama from possibly my favourite British actor, Gary Oldman, who writes and directs a very personal, truthful and frank account of the trials and tribulations of a dysfunctional family. The family, lead by the incredible Ray Winstone in what has to be his finest performance to date, are involved in a little bit of everything from drugs to domestic violence. It is Rayâs character, called Ray incidentally, through whom much of the violence and anger of the film is channeled. Nil By Mouth is an explosive tale of a family in decline mainly due to the weaknesses of the man within it and how their erratic behaviour creates a domino effect in the fortunes of those around them. A difficult watch due to the subject matter and realism of the performances and direction and if you feel as though the film has gripped you by the throat while watching then you certainly were not the only one. Would it be too much to say that this is possibly the best British family ever made? Displaying all of the gritty realism which perfectly reflects the mood of the time in such environments, the desperation of coming to terms with a Thatcher government which had little time for the little man, causing him to retaliate by creating an environment in which he is the undoubted kingâ¦..a status achieved by any means necessary, most of which are not honourable.
Great acting. Psychologically interesting; gradated picture of anger and temperament. Dialogue was good as well. However, the quality of the narrative decreased in the middle (but accerelated towards the end, fortunately).
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