- For other uses, see Nil by Mouth.
Nil by Mouth is a 1997 British film surrounding the life of Raymond and his family in South London. It was the debut of Gary Oldman as a writer, director and producer; who based the film on his own life growing up in the area. It stars Ray Winstone as Raymond in a landmark role as the abusive lover of Valerie (Kathy Burke). The film was a critical and cultural success, winning eight awards and being nominated for a further eight.
Gary Oldman cast his sister Laila Morse (most famous for playing Mo Harris in EastEnders) in the part of Janet and had his mother sing the parting song in the film (although it was dubbed over a shot of another actress singing).
There are several interesting aspects of the film. The soundtrack was never released, reportedly due to contractual obligations of the material Eric Clapton contributed. It is notable for containing the most uses of the word "fuck" of any film (470), until the release of The Devil's Rejects in 2005. The word "cunt" is also used 42 times.
Core Cast
- Ray Winstone as Ray
- Kathy Burke as Valeries
- Charlie Creed-Miles as Billy
- Laila Morse as Janet
- Edna Dore as Kath
- Chrissie Cotterill as Paula
- Jon Morrison as Agnus
- Steve Sweeney as Mark
Awards and nominations
- 1997 Camerimage
- Winner: Silver Frog Award (Ron Fortunato)
- Nominee: Golden Frog Award (Ron Fortunato)
- 1997 Cannes Film Festival
- Winner: Best Actress (Kathy Burke)
- Nominee: Golden Palm
- 1997 Edinburgh International Film Festival
- Winner: Channel 4 Director's Award (Gary Oldman)
- 1997 European Film Awards
- Nominee: Best Cinematographer (Ray Fortunato)
- 1998 BAFTA Awards
- Winner: Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film
- Winner: Best Original Screenplay
- Nominee: Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Ray Winstone)
- Nominee: Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role (Kathy Burke)
- 1998 British Independent Film Awards
- Winner: Best Performance by a British Actor in an Independent Film (Ray Winstone)
- Winner: Best Performance by a British Actress in an Independent Film (Kathy Burke)
- Winner: Most Promising Newcomer in any Category (Laila Morse)
- Nominee: Best British Director of an Independent Film (Gary Oldman)
- Nominee: Best British Independent Film
- Nominee: Best Original Screenplay by a British Writer of a Produced Independent Film (Gary Oldman)
- 1998 Empire Awards
- Winner: Best Debut (Gary Oldman)