#TIFF50 Review: I Swear (Centrepiece)

By John Corrado

I Swear is an enjoyable biographical drama based on the life story of John Davidson, a man living with Tourette’s syndrome, who became an early pioneer in helping bring awareness to the neurological disorder.

The film opens with John (played by Robert Aramayo) receiving an award from the Queen in recognition of his advocacy work. We then flash back to his childhood in Scotland, when John (played as a child by Scott Ellis Watson) went from being a promising young football player to socially outcast for his extreme tics, with his parents struggling to provide support in the 1980s.

The point of this story is that so little was known about Tourette’s at the time. Much of the film focuses on John’s rough and tumble working class life, made more difficult by his uncontrollable muscle movements, compulsive swearing, and inappropriate phrases. But glimmers of hope arrive in the remarkable support that he receives from Dottie (Maxine Peake), the mother of an old schoolmate, and Tommy (Peter Mullan), the caretaker of a local community centre who takes a chance on him.

Director Kirk Jones (Waking Ned Devine, Nanny McPhee) is aiming for a crowdpleaser, and he delivers one. But Jones, who also wrote the screenplay, doesn’t shy away from the darker aspects of Davidson’s life as well. We see the social isolation that he faces take its toll on him, and feel his anxiety around not being able to control his tics in situations where they can (and do) get him into serious trouble. Much of this depth of feeling is also thanks to Aramayo’s committed and credible performance, an accurate portrayal of the disorder that never feels like stereotype or caricature.

As such, the film delivers heartbreaking moments, but is entertaining as well. At one point, John gives someone permission to laugh at his tics, because he admits that sometimes the phrases he blurts out make him laugh as well. With its mix of classically British kitchen sink drama and inspirational true story, I Swear provides a touching and affirming viewing experience.