NIL BY MOUTH (1997) A Film Review by Vince Deehan Copyright 1997 Vince Deehan
Written and Directed by Gary Oldman. Cast: Ray Winstone, Kathy Burke, Charlie Creed-Miles, Laila Morse, Edna Dore.
I went along to see Gary Oldman's highly praised directorial debut with great anticipation, last night (Oct 13). I had been looking forward to seeing this film since I first heard about it. I am delighted to say that I was not disappointed with what I saw.
The film shows the lives of an extended family in South London. The family is dominated by Ray, played superbly by Ray Winstone (SCUM, QUADROPHENIA, and the recent UK release FACE) who is married to Valerie, played by Kathy Burke ( anyone who saw Danny Boyle's acclaimed TV drama MR WROE'S VIRGINS will not have easily forgotten Kathy's acclaimed performance as a a very disturbed young woman). Valerie's younger brother Billy ( Charlie Creed-Miles - THE FIFTH ELEMENT, TVs "PRESS GANG") is a heroin addict, who is the source of worry for all of the family, not least his mother Janet (Laila Morse). To round off the family we have Ray and Valerie's daughter, Michele (played by the young and very talented Leah Fitzgerald) and Kath (Edna Dore - HIGH HOPES) who is Janet's mum and , of course, Billy and Valerie's grandmother.
Ray is an alcoholic and a wife beater, and seems incapable of speaking without swearing repeatedly. He is clearly a troubled man , is in constant need of attention and finds himself unable to control his anger when he feels he is unable to exert full control of his family. He loves his wife's kid brother but is unable to restrain his violent nature when Billy's betrays him and takes Ray's drugs. He also loves his wife, but is so filled with insecurity that the minute he gets the slightest whiff that Valerie may be cheating on him ( which she certainly wasn't) he lets his temper and his fists fly with devastating physical and psychological trauma to Valerie. Up to this point in the film, we have seen that Ray is a violent man who you wouldn't want to upset, but this still doesn't prepare the viewer for the shock of seeing the sickening way in which he abuses his wife.
Gary Oldman has created a powerful film, but one that will definitely not appeal to everyone. Not all cinemagoers will be able to stomach his no holds barred view of a working class family battling to keep together against the forces of drug addiction, alcoholism and domestic violence. The swearing is constant throughout the film and will doubtless offend some viewers. I have to say that the opening scene with Ray and one of his mates telling boozy anecdotes in a club, was so full of expletives that I thought maybe this film wasn't for me. You thought Dennis Hopper was the definitive swearer in BLUE VELVET ? Just wait till you hear Ray in NIL BY MOUTH. To be serious though, there are lots of people for whom swearing is just common nature and a normal part of everyday conversation, and this is certainly the case for Ray and some members of his family.
The film is scored by Eric Clapton. Surprised ? I sure was, but Clapton has done a terrific job with a subtly jazzy score that fitted the film very well. There are also a couple of modern songs in the film, that although I can't identify who the artists were, provided some great moods in the film.
The acting from the entire cast is outstanding. Kathy Burke's performance, particularly in the second half of the film is superb. She was awarded the Best Actress award at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival. She imbues Valerie with a quiet dignity that is evident from the first time we see her. Ray Winstone is magnificent as Ray. Ray is a monster essentially but Winstone lets us see that Ray is deeply vulnerable and and that in many ways Ray is just as much of a victim as Valerie. This last bit may sound outrageous, but I know that many people will see this film and feel sorry for Ray as well as Valerie. What horrors has Ray gone through to make him behave the way he does ? Ray is deeply warped and is clearly very weak when compared to the proud and defiant Valerie.
Chief acting honours go to Kathy Burke and Ray Winstone but special mention must be given to Laila Morse who plays Valerie and Billy's mum. Laila Morse is Gary Oldman's sister and has apparently never acted before. Her part is very demanding, perhaps even more demanding than Burke's and Winstone's. She plays a mother who is well aware of her son's drug addiction but in the face of feeling helpless to stop him, she takes the hard option of supporting him, paying for his addiction and trying to at least give him a stable base to hold on to. One scene in particular comes to mind, when she sits in the driving seat of her van and glances anxiously behind her at Billy injecting drugs in the back of the van. Her acting in this scene and in the scene where she discovers Valerie after her beating, is very impressive.
I wholeheartedly recommend NIL BY MOUTH to anyone who isn't afraid to see the ugly side of human nature in unflinching detail. Having said that, one thing that does come through strongly throughout is the strong affection and love the members of the family feel for each other, particularly Janet for Valerie and Billy and Ray for his daughter and wife.
Nil BY MOUTH is partly based on Gary Oldman's own upbringing although his own father was never violent. Oldman knows these people and for all their faults he looks on them affectionately and with compassion.
Gary Oldman has created an outstanding film, which will surprise and confound those who think that actors should stick to working in front of the camera and not behind it !
Review written on Tuesday 14 October 1997 e-mail : vince@deehan.demon.co.uk http://www.deehan.demon.co.uk
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