Kathy Burke truly makes the film memorable with her intense portrayal of Valerie. She shares a home with her rough husband Raymond (Ray Winstone) and her constantly anxious brother Billy (Charlie Creed-Miles). All three have issues with drugs and alcohol, but when Raymond accuses his brother-in-law of theft, he throws him out, forcing him to seek shelter from his mother Janet (Laila Morse), who provides a place to sleep and money for his addiction. Billy’s careless actions create further problems for Valerie, eventually leading to her hospitalization after Raymond loses control. Surprisingly, there's an element of romance woven into this story; the bond between Raymond and Valerie might be more significant than just that of two people struggling to survive. The development of their connection does add some depth to the characters, though I found the harsh and angry conversations mostly consisted of a repetitive cycle of shouting matches fueled by drugs—and that was disappointing. Gary Oldman also delivers a strong performance in depicting what it's like to simply get through life on a housing estate in southeast London. The film is bleak, raw, critical in many ways, and difficult to watch at times, but Winstone seems limited in his approach and doesn’t entirely succeed.

Source on TMDB