Review of Nil by Mouth (1997) by Michael W — 31 Mar 2011

At its worst, a somewhat incomplete thought and perhaps too meandering; at its best, a gritty, raw piece of cinéma vérité with some of the most honest and real performances ever captured by film. The camera work and editing (particularly that of Ray's drunken rambling sequence) almost builds itself into an extra character and plays a bit of a "fly on the wall", voyeuristic role.

As Gary Oldman's first film, one can envision years of gritty, vibrant, well-directed character-driven dramas fulfilling a long and successful career. As Oldman's only film to date, one wonders 'what happened?' Perhaps writing AND directing such an intense, low-budget indie piece was enough hard work for a lifetime for the accomplished thespian.

All tolled, the film stands on its own merits and, although it wasn't exactly my kind of flick, it was a damn well-made film.