Nil By Mouth
Nil by Mouth is an extraordinary film, written and directed by Gary Oldman. It follows the lives of a South London family. Ray and Val are unhappily married. Ray is an over-drinking, swearing, unemployed lech who does not care about his longsuffering wife Val. He spends his time doing dodgy ‘business’ deals in back streets (stolen property, drugs etc). When crossed he explodes in violence. His pregnant wife Val lives under Ray’s thumb and puts up with this abuse. Ray gets rubbed the wrong way when Val’s younger brother steals some of his drugs, and when he suspects that Val is cheating on him. The consequences of these two actions drive the film and lead to surprising and grueling outcomes. At times Nil By Mouth is hard to watch, partly due to the realism of the situations and the brilliant acting (Kathy Burke won best actress at Cannes for her portrayal of Val). The film has a documentary-like feel, with brutal honesty, there is a feeling that nothing is hidden from us. A harrowing experience, but well worth it.
Esther Speight
