Review of Nil by Mouth (1997) by Alison O — 23 Mar 2006

Best in Show: Ray Winstone.

One for the future: Kathy Burke (British acting needs her!).

Stand-out scene: Ray's tears.

Brainer or no-brainer: Brainer.

Stands up to one viewing or repeated?: Repeated.

DVD commentary any good?: n/a.

TV.

Nearly ten years after it was first released (1997) I finally got around to seeing this. Written and directed by Gary Oldman, the degree to which it is autobiographical has been debated but as a stark depiction of contemporary London life this movie's power cannot be understated. Eulogised about upon its release, the twin performances at its heart; those of Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke definitely fall into the powerhouse category. That Burke has spent the last few years concentrating on directing for the stage is a massive loss to British acting and I was heartened to see her on Parky the other week saying that she may come out of self-imposed acting retirement should her enthusiasm for it be reignited. Perhaps the offer of as meaty a role as the one she performs here will be the catalyst, although the role would have to be one where she's not repeating herself. Ray (Ray Winstone) is a kind of grown-up version of his Scum character, a bully with a penchant for drugs (night and day alcohol included). His pregnant wife Valerie (Burke) bears the brunt of his vicious moods, her immediate family (including her nan, mother and brother - Samantha Morton's partner Charlie Creed-Miles) her support network when Ray kicks off. With 42 uses of the very bad c word and an average of 3.9 f-words per minute this isn't for those easily offended by bad language. It's for those who want to see the gritty realism of modern British life in all its inglory. This remains Gary Oldman's sole effort direction/writing wise and it's clearly a project that was close to his heart. His sister, Jackie Wyles (aka Eastenders' Big Mo, Laila Morse - an anagram of 'my sister' in Italian) has a key role and Gary Oldman's mother herself supplied the singing voice for the penultimate pub scene. A British kitchen sink drama to beat all others.