Project Detail

Nil by Mouth

Synopsis

Set in the same south-east London streets where he himself had grown up, and drawing on his own experience of a violent family home, Oldman’s debut as a writer-director captures a particular corner of London life – one marked by petty crime, drug-taking, domestic abuse and hair-trigger violence – with an unflinching authenticity rarely seen in British cinema. Oldman draws stunning performances from his cast, in particular from Ray Winstone as the rage-filled patriarch Ray, and Kathy Burke as his wife Val, who yearns for more from life than the cycle of abuse and low expectations. Shot with a visceral, up-close intimacy, the film has been remastered to 4K from the original camera negative, and its impact remains every bit as searing today.
(London Film Festival)

Details

Year
1997
Type of project
Features
Running time
128 min
Director
Gary Oldman 1st Feature
Producer
Luc Besson, Gary Oldman, Douglas Urbanksi
Editor
Brad Fuller
Screenwriter
Gary Oldman
Director of Photography
Ron Fortunato
Composer
Eric Clapton
Principal cast
Ray Winstone, Kathy Burke, Charlie Creed-Miles

Genre

Categories

Production Status

Production Company

EuropaCorp

SE8 GROUP

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