I Swear – Film Review
by Brian Merriman

Directed and written by Kirk Jones
Based on the 1989 BBC documentary John’s Not Mad
Starring: Robert Aramayo, Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson, Peter Mullan and Scott Ellis Watson.
Cinematography by James Blann

I Swear is Kirk Jones’ biographical comic drama based on the true experience of John Davison, one of the first people diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome in 1989. You would need a heart of stone not to be moved by this well-written, beautifully performed screenplay. Set in Scotland in the 1980s, in a working-class family with no knowledge of the syndrome, as they meet the sudden symptoms with disbelief.

Tourette’s is a challenging subject, and to leave the emergence of the syndrome in the hands of a young actor like Scott Ellis Watson is a remarkable responsibility that he achieves with style. 14-year-old John is starting big school and has a bright future as a goalkeeper. The emergence of the ticks, language and lack of limb control is beautifully portrayed, and young Watson shines in this challenging role. We get to know him and understand him from the start.

John’s parents are well played by a fragile Shirley Henderson and David Davidson. They journey from disbelief, to putting it down to adolescent faking, to trying to maintain order for the other siblings as family life disintegrates.

The absence of knowledge and understanding in a range of State services is well teased out, with chilling consequences. The abuse and violence of peers or those who take the spasms seriously is another graphic insight into this revealing, heart-wrenching journey. Watson sets up the likability of John, which then morphs into a stellar performance from Robert Aramayo as adult John.

Aramayo has a wonderful comic and dramatic range. His physicality is flawless, and he draws us beyond the illness, into seeing the adult who struggles with relationships and employment, resulting in the remarkable person that is John Davidson. The real John only emerges through the kindness of the Achenbach family, led by a memorable performance by Maxine Peake, with a nice study of her son Murray from Francesco Piacentini-Smith. Add to the story an incredibly inclusive community centre, with a wise and understanding Tommy Trotter, richly played by Peter Mullan.

I Swear is a beautifully shaped narrative that is warm, funny, revealing and formative. It is British cinema at its best. The tone of the writing and the skill of the direction by Kirk James, along with the fine performances, ensure that this film will endure long after its initial release. There are good people in this world, like Trotter and the Achenbachs, and there are great people like John Davidson, who remind us that any problem can be overcome by listening, learning, and human support. A lovely human story for these detached times.