The Gripes of Roth

Text by Kathryn Flett
Fashion by Kim Bowen, assisted by John Eastman

Known for his edgy portrayal of morbid outsiders -- a skinhead (Made in Britain), a hood (The Hit), a genius (Van Gogh in Vincent And Theo) and a psychotic gangster (Reservoir Dogs) -- Tim Roth is the ex-punk Brit-packer who, like his pal Gary Oldman, finally came good globally: Roth has recently worked alongside John Malkovich on Nic Roeg's Heart of Darkness, completed a TV movie about the serial killer Charlie Fairweather (sic), has Bodies, Rest In Motion (sic) set for release next year and will appear in Gary Oldman's directorial debut. a British gang movie provisionally titled Lords of the Urban Jungle. Arena caught up with Roth, currently resident in LA, under the guise of a fashion story. "I don't miss England, but I do feel guilty for leaving," he told The Face last year. "But all the directors I like have left too. (British) films about people getting slightly fucking cross with each other while leaning on a mantlepiece . . . let's face it, they're not that interesting. Now I'm doing the kinds of films I always wanted to do, but in a different accent."