Review of Nil by Mouth

I had been wanting to see this film for a long time but never got around to it. Finally caught it on cable a few weeks ago and was very impressed. Everything about this film demonstrates the skill of the film-maker in staying true to the gritty subject matter. Use of hand held camera adds to the cinematic realism as does the way the family are never seen together in one shot until the very end of the film. The subject matter, especially the drug abuse, is shot with gritty realism that I have rarely seen before. It looks like Gary Oldman knows his stuff about life in working class London. All performances are outstanding, Ray Winstone is always worth watching, but the lesser know members of the case also amazed me with the honesty of their performances. Although this film is difficult to watch in some scenes, it is a must see for anyone serious about realism in cinema.