Nil By Mouth

NIL BY MOUTH (18)
D: Gary Oldman
20th Century Fox/SEB (Luc Besson, Douglas Urbanski & Gary Oldman)
UK 1997
128 mins

Drama

W: Gary Oldman
DP: Ron Fortunato
Ed: Brad Fuller 
Mus: Eric Clapton 

Ray Winstone (Raymond), Kathy Burke (Valerie), Charlie Creed-Miles (Billy), Laila Morse (Janet), Edna Doré (Kath), Chrissie Cotterill (Paula), Jon Morrison (Angus), Jamie Forman (Mark)

This is what Eastenders would really be like if the BBC had a pair of bollocks.
Marking Gary Oldman's directorial debut, it's clearly a partly autobiographical story about a middle class family on a Saaaath Laaaandon haaaasing estaaaate, Ray Winstone is the alcoholic, abusive and violent father, Kathy Burke his timid wife and Leila Morse as Kathy Burke's mum. Ray & Kathy also have a junkie son. There's not much story as such, just a lot of faaaaacking swear words (especially the C-word), but it's still an intense, gritty and challenging drama.
Personally, I think a better job was done in the New Zealand film Once Were Warriors (qv), which has a very similar theme, but this is a fine British equivalent. 
7/10

Ray Winston in Nil By Mouth
Ray Winston in Nil By Mouth