Oldman's directorial debut—and at time of writing, only film in the director's chair—is an audacious experience. While it would appear to be little different from many TV dramas that have tackled the subject of domestic abuse on the surface, Oldman's film is a stark, gritty portrait of a family on the edge of the abyss.
At NIL BY MOUTH's centre lies two fantastic performances from Ray Winstone and Kathy Burke as a married couple living a loveless existence. Winstone's abuser and Burke's victim are all the more sad and pathetic when it clicks that we have all known people in similar situations, at one time or another.
NIL BY MOUTH is an exceptional film and one that is extremely hard to watch. That said, it's not without some comedic moments and benefits from an excellent Eric Clapton score and some nice photography by DoP Ron Fortunato.
The R1 disc from Sony Picture Classics is a featureless, bare-bones affair, which is a shame as much of the film's content was allegedly drawn from Oldman's own, real-life experiences. A commentary or detailed documentary would have been fascinating.
