I Swear has been rated R for reasons that its title makes clear. John Davidson is one of the most outspoken voices in the Tourette syndrome community. It’s impossible to tell his story without constant profanity. Yet, there’s no sex or nudity in writer/director Kirk Jones’ film about Davidson. Whatever violence depicted on screen isn’t gratuitous, and any references to drugs are brief. The foul language cemented the film’s R-rated status, which ironically exemplifies how people with Tourette syndrome are still ostracized in society. There may be four-letter words throughout, but anyone who watches I Swear is inclined to walk away a better person.
In addition to educating its audience about Tourette syndrome, I Swear is just as much about the power of empathy. While it doesn’t stray far from the biopic format in terms of writing or style, Jones’ film is sincere and honest. Robert Aramayo’s deeply committed performance anchors this hopeful story about a man navigating a world that doesn’t understand his condition. Just because he can’t control himself doesn’t mean he can’t change his surroundings and how others view him. If you’re an underage viewer, sneak in.
Scott Ellis Watson is just as strong as the younger version of Davidson, who showed virtually no signs of Tourette syndrome during his early years. Around the time he hit puberty, Davidson started exhibiting “tics.” I put the word in quotation marks because there’s probably a better term, but “tics” generally seems to be the most accepted. In addition to swearing, Davidson can’t help it as he inadvertently hits people and spits out his food. At school, the factuality physically punishes him. At home, his family eats at the table while he eats on the floor like a dog. Taking place in the 80s and 90s, Tourette syndrome isn’t unheard of, but that doesn’t mean people are quick to accept it.
Davidson’s mother (Shirley Henderson) tries to do right by him, but she clearly resents her son for something he has no control over. He finds a true maternal figure in Dottie Achenbach, wonderfully played by Maxine Peake. A mental health nurse who’s seemingly dying from cancer, Dottie helps Davidson to see that if the world is ever going to accept him, he needs to accept himself first. She helps him get a job working with a community center caretaker, played by Peter Mullan in another effective performance. While the supporting cast goes a long way, this is Robert Aramayo’s movie. Aramayo is not only convincing as a person with Tourette’s, but one we see grow from a twenty-something to a middle-aged man.
It’s a performance that could’ve gone wrong in more ways than one, although there isn’t a false note in Aramayo’s portrayal. Aramayo has already won a BAFTA for Best Actor. It wouldn’t be at all surprising to see Aramayo nominated for a Best Actor Oscar next year. Watching Aramayo’s performance, though, you never see an actor trying to win an award. You see John Davidson, whose condition is still widely misunderstood. The reaction to the real Davidson’s unfortunate outburst at the BAFTAs reflects this. That’s not to say people shouldn’t be offended by Davidson’s words, but to anyone who thinks Davidson meant what he said that night, I Swear is an important and enlightening watch.