Review of Nil by Mouth (1997) by Chris R — 27 Oct 2007
Gary Oldmas gritty portrayal of council flat life in 1990s North London. Ray Winstone gives a searing performance as Ray, the ever threatening borderline psychotic that we have come to know and love from Winstone. Arguably his best performance, it pins together the well rounded supporting cast. The fluid, relaistic feel to the film stems from its improvisational dialogue and the non intrusive, almost vouyeuristic camerawork. The up close camera and the brilliant direction from Oldman are what gives the film its claustrophobic feel.
Issues of unwanted pregnancy, domestic abuse, heroin addiction, violence and the seedy Soho underworld provide the fuel for the narrative, but they intertwine seamlessly to provide an almost too real picture of the underisde of London we all know exists, but most try not to think about.
As an aside, the film contains the most uses to the F-word in any film ever, with a whopping 428 fucks, or 3.34 FPM (Fucks Per Minute).
This review of Nil by Mouth (1997) was written by Chris R on 27 Oct 2007.
Nil by Mouth has generally received very positive reviews.
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