Robert Aramayo, Maxine Peake
Review by Brad Balfour, Arts Editor
Film: “I Swear”
Director/Writer: Kent Jones
Cast: Robert Aramayo, Scott Ellis Watson, Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson, Peter Mullan, David Carlyle, Steven Cree, Francesco Piacentini-Smith, Jamie McAllistar, Ethan Stewart, Paul Donnelly, Douglas Rankine, Adam McNamara, Chris Dixon, Anthony Capaldi, Andrea Bisset, Gordon Peaston, Christina Modestou, Christina Ashford
As if to provide an example of Tourette’s Syndrome’s uncontrollable nature, “I Swear” subject John Davidson MBE, shouted the N-word at BAFTAs (Britain’s version of the Oscars) just the film was being highlighted. Its lead actor who plays the actual subject was an award nominee. In “I Swear,” “Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” star Robert Aramayo plays Davidson as he is diagnosed with the syndrome. Aramayo beat out Hollywood stars including Leonardo DiCaprio and Ethan Hawke to take home the leading man statue for his performance. The film, which was nominated in five categories, also won an award for casting.
As Davidson repeatedly stated throughout the biopic, Tourette’s Syndrome’s tics and outbursts are involuntary and, as if to prove the point, the activist shouted various abrading words and comments at the beginning of the BAFTA Awards show. He then left the ceremony. Though he apologized profusely later, the remarks were heard and people were stunned.
That was exactly the reaction characters in “I Swear” feel throughout the film when they’re first exposed to Davidson and his condition. Based on the true life story of this Scottish man with severe version of the syndrome since he was 12, he was also the subject of a 1989 television documentary “John’s Not
Mad.”
Since Davidson’s early teens, Tourette’s Syndrome emerged, which then plagued him for decades. He had to contend with a condition that causes him to yell out expletives and behave in a way that others had little time to understand. It frequently got Davidson in trouble with others, including the law, but as he got control of life, it led to him becoming a staunch advocate for those with Tourette’s. As he began doing workshops and went public with his problem, he was eventually awarded the MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire), presented to him by no less than Queen Elizabeth herself.
As an experienced director, Jones — who established himself with “Waking Ned Devine” in 1998 — deftly handles his difficulty and complicated subject and history. Once director Jones had cast Aramayo, the actor spent three months with Davidson in the latter’s hometown of Galashiels, learning everything he could about Davidson’s life. He also did various Zoom calls with other people with Tourette’s.
In this new biopic, we see how Davidson struggles to build a “normal” life in 1980s Scotland. Navigating the difficult and complicated realities of Tourette’s Syndrome, his life is well documented without being overly sentimental or protective; the film is filled with heart so that the humor in misunderstood life is appreciated.
The narrative is aided through the able acting skills of Shirley Henderson as Davidson’s mother Heather, Maxine Peake as Dottie Achenbach (the nurse who becomes John’s surrogate mom) and Peter Mullan as Tommy Trotter — the man who gave John his first job which helped him establish some sense of normality.
In 2023, John works with researchers at University of Nottingham to test a treatment device: a non-
invasive median nerve stimulation (MNS) device worn as a bracelet. It calms his tics sufficiently to allow him to be quiet during an entire visit to the library — something he dreaded before. On the train home, he strikes up a conversation with a woman, demonstrating his growing confidence. The film ends with footage of the real John Davidson, along with a postscript emphasizing the importance of societal awareness in the management of Tourette’s.
Self-financed, Jones took the leap into a project which easily could have been lost among the many indie features that appear every year. But this film shows the power of the human spirit to overcome nearly everything ti find satisfaction in life. Though not exactly a fun film, it’s a hopeful one.