Ray Winstone is outstanding in Gary Oldman's powerful, hard hitting drama exploring the down-trodden lives of a working class family in the darkest parts of London. Painfully realistic and drawing on Oldman's own childhood experiences, Nil by Mouth is an honest and frankly nihilistic depiction of shattered existence. The intrusive camera work is all-encompassing and the dialogue, improvised and aggressive. The overall melancholy mise-en-scene is dark and disturbing and makes the film at times very difficult to watch. Despite this, Nil by Mouth remains an inaugural part of the recent British cinema canon, with the film delving into the violent underbelly of our contemporary society.
7/10
7/10