★ 6 / 10
It's Kathy Burke who steals this for me
CinemaSerf
It's Kathy Burke who steals this for me with a powerfully emotional characterisation of "Valerie". She lives with her brutish husband "Raymond" (Ray Winstone)…
It's Kathy Burke who steals this for me with a powerfully emotional characterisation of "Valerie". She lives with her brutish husband "Raymond" (Ray Winstone) and her permanently geared-up brother "Billy" (Charlie Creed-Miles). None of the are strangers to drugs and to booze, but when her husband reckons his wastrel brother-in-law has pinched his stuff, he turfs him onto the streets where here resorts to his own mother "Janet" (Laila Morse) for a bed and a source of cash to feed his habit. 'Billy" is a bit of a thoughtless cretin and his behaviour leads to even more turmoil for his sister when "Raymond" finally flips and she is hospitalised. Believe it or not, this has the semblance of a love story to it. The relationship between "Raymond" and "Valerie" might actually run a bit deeper than that of an impoverished couple struggling through the motions from day-to-day. It's the evolution of that partnership that makes the characters a bit more interesting, but I felt the vitriolic and angry dialogue was mostly just a repetitive series of Anglo-Saxon tantrums and drug-fuelled anger - and that let it down for me. Still, Gary Oldman quite effectively shines a light on his perception of how life on a south east London housing estate is endured rather than lived. It's dark, visceral, condemnatory on many levels and quite a tough watch but Winstone only has one gear and for me and he never really convinces.
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★ 7 / 10
Ugly, brutal, fascinating
KnightsofNi11
It's always a fun experience to watch an actors shift to the director chair. Such is the story behind Nil by Mouth, the directorial debut of Gary Oldman, one…
It's always a fun experience to watch an actors shift to the director chair. Such is the story behind Nil by Mouth, the directorial debut of Gary Oldman, one of the finest actors working today. Oldman himself does not appear in the film, but a whole collection of fantastic actors do instead. The film is a brutal story of a dysfunctional family living in London. This distraught and detached family struggles to stay together, having to battle one brothers heroin addiction, anothers short temper and violent tendencies, as well as the general debauchery that occurs within the lives of these people. This isn't a pleasant film and it isn't a happy film. It's a brutal depiction of London working-class districts and it will certainly disturb you to your core.
The brutality of Nil by Mouth is unheard of. The film is a non-stop stream of cursing, graphic drug uses, and despicable violence. The film never lets up on the atrocity, leaving you no time to catch your breath. It's a fast moving film; one that doesn't stop to explain things and doesn't spell everything out for you. It's a completely character driven story with more character development in it than actual events occurring. Yet, enough happens to make the film plenty interesting. It slows down towards the middle as it sets up for its somber ending that leaves you with a strange and uneasy feeling in your stomach.
Now, I'm always up for a great character driven story, but you have to be prepared for a lot going into Nil by Mouth. The thing is, the characters in this film are not likable in the least. They are the most despicable, deplorable, horridly atrocious people you've ever laid eyes on. Apart from them being sleazy and unattractive, they all possess the most unflattering personalities. The film presents a very strange family dynamic, having the characters constantly switch between love and hate for one another. Billy, the brother with the terrible heroin addiction, has his own mother give him drug money and also provides him with a place to shoot up. This seems like the most brutal form of motherly love until the two scream at each other a scene later, throwing the most horrendous profanities at one another. It is indeed some of the strangest relationships you could ever observe, teetering on being farcical at times, yet being sincerely compelling at other times.
Overall, it is hard to become attached to the characters in Nil by Mouth. They certainly tell a fascinatingly twisted story, but don't expect to find any sympathy left in your heart when it's all over. This film disturbs me more than entertains me, but that is obviously the point. It is so harrowing and so horrendous that I can't guarantee you will want to watch it again once it's over. I'm not sure that I do, but I don't regret watching it by any means. Gary Oldman needs to try his luck with directing again one of these days, because his first attempt has gone pretty well.
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★ 7 / 10
like a punch in the stomach
Embley
this film is incredibly harsh. it took a while for me to get into it - accent barrier and a little too close to reality make it a tough one to watch. but it…
this film is incredibly harsh. it took a while for me to get into it - accent barrier and a little too close to reality make it a tough one to watch. but it really is a great film - horrifying and depressing. i don't think i could ever watch it again, it is too hard.
kathy burke is great as is her terrifying husband. cheers to gary oldman for doing good quality work.
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top 10 for the 90s films