I Swear is a powerful, funny, beautiful, heart wrenching movie that peeks into life with Tourette’s. One of the best movies so far this year.
At 14 John Davidson (Robert Aramayo) was a good student and a promising soccer player. Then things started to change. Slowly. A tick. A comment. It being 1980s Scotland no one knew what to make of him, especially his family.
Fast forward 13 years and we find him still living with his mum Heather (Shirley Henderson), his father David (Steven Cree) having left years prior. With no job and no social life, his life is small.
One day a chance meeting with an old school friend changes all that.
His school friends mum Dottie (Maxine Peake) works in mental health and has her own health struggles. Recognizing something in him she invites John to live with her family. When Dottie introduces John to Tommy Trotter (Peter Mullan) a whole new life opens up.
As the audience reacted as one throughout the movie I pondered:
- Aramayo does an absolutely brilliant job as John, no wonder he won the BAFTA for best actor. Mullan and Henderson are reliably good;
- The movie gives a heart wrenching insight into how people with Tourette’s were treated;
- It shows the power of having one or two people who believe in you. The power of love;
- It also speaks to maintaining your individuality and finding your purpose;
- The movie is even more powerful as it’s based on a true story;
- I Swear is simply one of the best movies I’ve seen so far this year. Do not miss it.
For more information go to Luna Cinemas.
