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I watched this film last night on tv. I had seen it before and I found it as disturbing as I remembered it. Gary Oldman, who was the writer and director, based the Ray Winstone character on his own father - and the things that happened when he was growing up haunted Oldman for years. Gary Oldman became an alcoholic for about 20 years as he couldn't cope with the memories of what his father has done to him, particularly the fact his father never loved him and always neglected him, but also just how violet he was too. I saw an interview with Gary Oldman a few years ago and he said that through going to AA, and through other counselling, he was able to forgive his father and he then stopped drinking. He is now married with a family and his life is sorted out. Gary Oldman's sister plays Mo in Eastenders and she is in the film too. Apparently the bit in the film where the woman playing his mother is singing the song "I love that man" in the pub, the actress is just miming the song and the real voice we hear is of Gary Oldman's own mother singing the song, so there are things in the film that directly relate to his family and to the man the film is about - namely his dad. A good film, disturbing but it had to be in order to get across the experiences that Oldman was trying to convey. At the end it says "in memory of my father" on the screen. What did other people think of the film?

There's a word for it - autobiographical.

Good film. I always thought that it should be shown to intending social workers to show that these problems are often intractable inasmuch as they can't be 'solved' just managed more or less efectively.

Yes it's 'grim' but Oldman was just 'keeping it real' in a time before people routinely said 'keep it real'. How real do you want it ? This is one of the challenges of Nil By Mouth.

Extraordinary movie, and Winstone is dynamite. Proving once again why he is Britain's best actor. Totally gripping stuff and directed wonderfully by Oldman, who is also one of our best actors.

Another truly disturbing film starring Ray Winstone which you should check out if you are interested is The War Zone.

I'll look out for The War Zone film. By the way I read today that the word 'fuck' appears in Nil By Mouth more times than in ANY other film! Wow.

Very good film and one the Brit films at its dramatic best.

Tim Roth did another simialr one with Ray Winstone shagging his daughter and I just couldnt get my head around it but then I dont think you are supposed to.

I think it was called The War Zone and when im was asked if he was abused when he was young he said "What do you think?"

Samantha Morton did one recently with robert Carlyle called The Unloved and apparently the same thing happened to her.

Goes to show if people think you have to be abused to do porn that porn is merely mirroring what happens in the world when yiou have three different accomplished actors making personal films about it.

Then aagain, abuse can take different forms and not necessarily all sexual. Equally tough, if not more has got to be mental and physical abuse as well