I Swear – Movie Review
Based on the true life story of John Davidson, I Swear chronicles Davidson’s journey as a man suffering from Tourette syndrome – a motor disorder that results in involuntary muscle and vocal tics. As a teenager in 1980s Scotland, back before Tourette’s had more public awareness, John begins to navigate the struggles that arise in his life as he learns to live with his disorder, paving the way to a newfound purpose in Tourette syndrome advocacy.
Writer and directed by Kirk Jones, I Swear wonderfully balances the tones of being a genuine, heartbreaking drama that doesn’t shy away from the criticism and misunderstandings that John encounters, and being a heartfelt, humourous, feel good flick that will undoubtedly uplift and inspire audiences. And it’s the meld of these two tones that makes I Swear an all-in-all wonderful cinematic experience.
The movie begins John’s story in 1983 (played as a teen by Scott Ellis Watson), where his dreams of being a football player seem to be cut short after he begins to experience his tics on the field, in front of a scout who is at the game to assess him. As John and his family try to understand what is causing his “outbursts”, John’s mental health declines rapidly, his family unit begins to splinter, and John attempts suicide, but is saved.
Over a decade later, now in his 20s, John (played as an adult by BAFTA winner Robert Aramayo), receives an official diagnosis for Tourette syndrome, learning that there is no cure and that an existence of pushing people away due to his disorder will be his life. But, not one to be held down, John attempts to live a full life by making friends, being a hard worker, and leading the charge for Tourette advocacy around the United Kingdom.
I Swear is very straight forward from a narrative sense. After opening on the film’s ending, (which sees John attending a MBE ceremony with the Queen, where he involuntarily tics “Fuck the Queen!”) and setting that dual tone of humour and heartbreak, the story is told in a linear fashion, allowing the audience to really understand how John himself experienced his journey with Tourette’s. It may seem formulaic, but for what the film is trying to emotionally convey, it does feel like the best and right way to portray John’s story.
What then makes I Swear break the formulaic biopic mold is the unapologetic and uncensored portrayal of Tourette syndrome. There is a bold authenticity on screen that is hard to watch from a sympathetic point of view, but one that is also utterly fascinating to see in such an unfiltered manner. While there are tics said that are quite funny, and while the movie absolutely invites you to find these sayings funny, there is always an undertone that this is an occasionally painful way to live, literally.
The physicality that comes through Robert Aramayo’s performance is where that pain is seen. His complete dedication to the violent and sudden tics is enough to make the muscles of the audience ache. The abrasive neck twitches, clenched jaws and tensed shoulders are so apparent in Aramayo’s truly transformative performance. The believability of John’s tics are also portrayed verbally well, highlighting once more Aramayo’s wonderful dedication and understanding of Tourette’s. It never feels like a mockery or bad impersonation, and that in hand helps with the audience’s immersiveness into John’s story.
Equally heart-breaking, heartfelt, and humorous, I Swear is an uplifting and inspiring biopic that authentically portrays the Tourette syndrome experience through an outstanding lead performance from Robert Aramayo.
I Swear is in Australian cinemas March 26
