Nil by Mouth

I've always been (since 1989) a fan of Oldman. But WOW! He is more than an actor. He truly is an artist. The movie is truthful and dramatic. Wow.... Full review

So when I made the film, I was like the sentimentality police. For his debut as writer-director, fuelled in part by memories of alcoholism and violence in his family and among friends, Gary Oldman wisely returned to south-east London, shooting scenes in the streets, housing estates and pubs in and around Deptford and New Cross. ... Full Review

NIL BY MOUTH Ray Winstone, Kathy Burke (1998, Columbia TriStar, R, $98.99) This compelling drama, about a lower-class London family on intimate terms with drugs, vio....Even the potent yet unobtrusive score by Eric Clapton speaks volumes --.... ... Full Review

However, there are those individually potent scenes to enjoy, powered by Oldman's perfect ear for the scatological vernacular....On this outing, the teller of the bleak tale is actor turned writer-director Gary Oldman..... ... Full Review

Nil by Mouth" is very strong stuff, in its violence and in its language, and is definitely not for everyone. Beyond that, Oldman, working with ace cameraman Ron Fortunato, has a real feel for the cinematic, and "Nil by Mouth" has a driving, jagged style that is complemented by Eric Clapton's often melancholy score. ... Full Review

His wife, Valerie (Kathy Burke, who won best actress at Cannes for this performance), holds the family together despite Ray's rampaging. Oldman, who also wrote the script, has a talented actor's ear for dialogue and includes several of the sort of set pieces that actors would die for. ... Full Review

HARD-hitting British movie Nil by Mouth has the most swearing in film history, a study found.The 1997 flick starring Ray Winstone as a violent, alcoholic dad had an astonishing 470 F-words in 128 minutes of action. ... Full Article

More visceral than any of the actioners hes scenery-chewed his way through during the last decade, Gary Oldmans semi-autobiographical directorial bow takes a bruising, honest look at working-class life south of the river. ... Full Article

Having spent the majority of his life as Hollywoods serial renta-baddie, Gary Oldman has taken the timely decision to step behind the camera to try out the directors chair for size. ... Full Article

A film review by Christopher Null - Copyright 1999 Filmcritic.com Categorically one of the worst films ever made, Gary Oldman's meditation on gritty urban drug-abusing/wife-beating life is never poignant or impressive, unless you consider jerky camerawork a sign of genius. ... Full Article

U.S. Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics There is a scene in Nil by Mouth , actor Gary Oldman's directorial debut, that is excruciatingly difficult to watch. ... Full Article