Nil by Mouth (1997)

Gary Oldman’s one and only film as director celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary this year, and it’s no less bleak today than it was on its original release. The film is loosely based on events from Oldman’s childhood growing up in London and centers on Ray Winstone as Ray and his long suffering wife Valerie (Kathy Burke). The couple live with Valerie’s mother Janet, as well as her drug-addicted brother Billy and her elderly grandmother Kath.

The family is highly dysfunctional mainly due to Ray’s violent outbursts and Billy’s addiction and when the two clash it doesn’t end well.

Oldman’s talent behind the camera is evident, although controversy surrounding the nature of the film coupled with struggles to get it made are a big part of why we haven’t seen Oldman behind the camera since, which is a real shame because he captures the horror of the families’ home life with horrific aplomb. The performances are electric; it’s arguably Winstone’s finest performance, while Kathy Burke pulls off something miraculous in convincing us all of the utter turmoil going on in her head. Nil by Mouth is far from an easy watch, but its portrayal of alcohol and drug abuse within the confines of a family is a stark reality check for those who are oblivious to the problems people like this face, and yet Oldman makes it almost horribly gripping. In places it reminds you of something like Ken Loach’s 1983 television movie Meantime, another bleak kitchen sink drama that’s also surprisingly affecting and well worth a watch, although not on the same brutal scale as Oldman’s one and only piece of directorial work. 7.8/10