I SWEAR at PALACE CINEMAS 2025 RUSSELL HOBBS BRITISH FILM FESTIVAL
I SWEAR is a Masterpiece About Connection, Focused Empathy and the Unbreakable Human Spirit. In the cinematic landscape, often dominated by spectacle, I SWEAR is a rare and profound gift, to encounter a film that possesses the unique quiet power, to recalibrate your perspective on the world. I SWEAR, is the new film from writer / director Kirk Jones, and is a movie experience to be felt, plus watched as a deep, resonant, and beautifully crafted character piece, that settles in your soul and lingers long after the end credits have rolled. Based on the real-life struggles of John Davidson, a Scottish man living with Tourette syndrome, this film transcends the conventional boundaries of the biopic to become something far more universal, and is raw, unflinching, and ultimately triumphant ode to resilience, understanding, and the simple, stubborn act of being human. Highly Recommended. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
To incorrectly label I SWEAR, as just a “disease-of-the-week” film would be a catastrophic misjudgment. Kirk Jones, with a deft and compassionate hand, sidesteps every potential pitfall of sentimentality or exploitation. Instead, Kirk Jones presents Tourette’s not as a defining tragedy, but as a formidable, uninvited, and often chaotic co-pilot on one man’s journey through life. The film’s genius lies in its unwavering focus on the person within the condition—the charm, the dreams, the frustrations, and the enduring spirit of John Davidson. This story fully champions the underdog, not by painting him as a pitiable figure, but by revealing his profound and relatable humanity, making his victories, however small, feel like seismic triumphs.
The Two Halves of a Whole, with a Seamless Dual Performance. The monumental task of bringing John Davidson to life is split between two actors, and the result is nothing short of cinematic alchemy. The film’s narrative spine is this dual performance, which charts John Davidson’s journey from a youth brimming with potential, to an adult navigating a world that constantly misunderstands him.
The Heartbreaking Unraveling. We are first introduced to John Davidson as a young boy, played with astonishing maturity and depth by Scott Ellis Watson. Watson’s John is a vibrant, devil-may-care youth, a talented soccer football player, with the world at his feet. His energy is infectious, his future a bright, unwritten page. Watson captures this youthful exuberance with a natural ease, making the film’s central tragedy not the arrival of Tourette’s itself, but the theft of this unburdened existence.
Watching Watson’s deterioration is a masterclass in subtle, physical acting. The initial twitches are minor inconveniences, moments of confusion that flicker across his face. As the condition tightens its grip, we see the frustration and fear take root. Watson portrays this internal war with breathtaking vulnerability. His body is no longer entirely his own, and the confusion and anger of that betrayal are etched into every tic and vocalization. One particular solitary scene, is indeed a landmark moment in the film, with a raw, wordless eruption of emotion where the weight of his new reality crashes down. For a young actor to carry such a burden of emotional intensity is remarkable; for him to do so with such authenticity is a sign of a major new talent. Watson doesn’t just act the part; he inhabits the storm, and we are helpless, but to be swept up in it with him.
The Scarred, Charming Survivor. As the film transitions to John’s adult life, the baton is passed to Robert Aramayo, who delivers what can only be described as a career-defining performance. The hopeful young boy is gone, replaced by a man bearing all the scars, both physical and emotional, of thirteen years of living with an uncontrollable condition. Aramayo’s John is a study in poignant contradiction. He possesses an innate, infectious charm, plus a warm smile and intelligent eyes that make you instinctively want to connect with him. Yet, this charm is perpetually shadowed by a layer of apology, a constant, wearying need to pre-emptively soothe the discomfort of others.
Aramayo’s physical commitment is staggering. His portrayal of John’s tics and vocalizations with the sudden barks, and the compulsive movements, is never performative or exaggerated. It is woven into the very fabric of the character, a relentless, exhausting soundtrack to his daily life. The true brilliance of his performance, however, lies in the moments between the tics. We see the man desperately trying to hold his composure, the flicker of relief when he finds a moment of quiet, and the profound weariness in his eyes from a lifetime of fighting his own body. He is a man constantly editing himself in a world that has no patience for his first draft. Aramayo makes us feel the immense emotional toll of this struggle, and in doing so, he transforms John Davidson from a “character with Tourette’s” into simply John, a man we like, we respect, and for whom we root with every fiber of your being.
Tapestry of Support and Strain, Plus The Brilliant Supporting Cast. A man is not an island, and I SWEAR is as much a story about the community that forms around John Davidson, as it is about John himself. The supporting cast is a masterwork of nuanced writing and acting, providing a complex ecosystem of love, frustration, and acceptance.
Shirley Henderson as Heather: The Flawed Anchor. As John’s mother, Heather, Shirley Henderson delivers a performance of breathtaking complexity. She is the film’s moral crucible. Henderson does not give us a saintly, endlessly patient mother figure. Instead, she gives us a real, flawed, and exhausted woman. She has stuck by her son, but the years of stress, public embarrassment, and relentless care have worn her down. Director Kirk Jones, wisely avoids turning her into a monster; instead, he and Henderson paint a portrait of a woman who loves her son deeply but was simply never equipped for this life.
There is a palpable strain in Henderson’s every scene. Her love is often expressed through a tense jaw or a weary sigh, her interactions with John Davidson, sometimes bordering on the resentful, as if he were an annoying pet she is forced to tolerate. This daring characterisation makes her moments of genuine tenderness all the more powerful. She is a woman fighting a battle on two fronts: against her son’s condition and against her own human limitations. Henderson makes us understand both her love and her profound fatigue, creating one of the most heartbreakingly real parental figures seen on screen in years.
Maxine Peake as Dottie: The Beacon of Unconditional Acceptance. In stark contrast to Heather is Dottie, played with radiant warmth and strength by Maxine Peake. Dottie, the mother of a childhood friend, represents the family that John Davidson needed. She is the embodiment of unconditional acceptance. From their first meeting, she sees past the tics and vocalizations directly to the charming, intelligent man within. Peake fills the screen with a serene, maternal power that provides the film with its emotional sanctuary. In her presence, John Davidson can momentarily relax, can be himself without a filter of apology. Dottie is the unwavering voice in his corner, a reminder that he is worthy of love and respect exactly as he is. Peake’s performance is a balm, both for John and for the audience.
Peter Mullan as Tommy Trotter: The Comic Relief and Camaraderie. No film about Scottish life would be complete without a certain gritty warmth, and that is provided in spades by the legendary Peter Mullan as Tommy Trotter. Mullan is a force of nature, and his character serves as a vital source of comedy and grounded camaraderie. Tommy doesn’t coddle John or treat him with kid gloves; he gives him good-natured ribbing and accepts him as one of the lads. This uncomplicated friendship is a lifeline for John. In a world that either stares or looks away in pity, Tommy simply sees him. Mullan’s scenes provide the film with its biggest laughs and its most heartwarming moments of male bonding, proving that sometimes the greatest support comes not from profound speeches, but from a shared pint and a bit of blunt, affectionate humour.
Direction and Narrative: Finding Freshness in a Familiar Form. It is true that the overarching structure of I SWEAR follows a path well-trodden by biographical dramas. The underdog narrative, the moments of public humiliation, the introduction of supportive and unsupportive characters—these are beats we recognize. To critique the film solely on these grounds, however, is to critically miss the point. Kirk Jones is not attempting to reinvent the wheel; he is perfecting it.
His direction is restrained, intimate, and deeply respectful. He keeps the camera focused on the human face, allowing his phenomenal actors the space to tell the story through their eyes. He doesn’t use manipulative music or overly dramatic staging to tell us how to feel. Instead, he trusts the power of the lived experience, the authenticity of the performances, and the inherent drama of John Davidson’s reality.
Where Kirk Jones’s work truly shines is in the details. The way he captures the exhausting cycle of John Davidson’s life—the brief moments of peace, the building tension before a tic, the explosive release, and the subsequent wave of shame and apology, is meticulously crafted. He makes us feel the relentless, grinding nature of the condition. Furthermore, by giving equal weight to the flawed humanity of characters like Heather, he elevates the film beyond a simple, sentimental triumph-over-adversity tale. This is a story about the hard, messy, and often unglamorous work of understanding. It’s about the people who fail at it, the people who excel at it, and the profound impact both have on a single life.
A Story for Our Time. At its core, I SWEAR is a film of profound relevance. In an era often marked by division, impatience, and a rush to judgment, this movie is a powerful plea for empathy. It forces us to look beyond the surface, beyond the involuntary noises and movements, to see the complex, feeling human being within. It challenges your comfort, and asks you to sit with discomfort, and not to pity it, but to understand it.
The film doesn’t offer easy answers or a miraculous cure. John Davidson’s triumph is not the conquering of his Tourette’s, but the conquering of his own shame and the forging of a life of dignity and connection in spite of it. His victory is in finding those moments of peace, those pockets of acceptance, and in the stubborn refusal to let his condition erase his essential self.
I SWEAR is a brilliant film. It is a film that will make you laugh, particularly in the scenes lit by Peter Mullan’s gruff humour. It will undoubtedly make you cry, as you witness the raw vulnerability of Scott Ellis Watson, and the weary resilience of Robert Aramayo. A unique story for our time, and one that champions empathy and celebrates the underdog in the most beautiful way possible. But most importantly, it will leave you with a renewed sense of hope, and a deepened capacity for compassion. A masterclass in acting, and a testament to nuanced direction, plus a story that this world desperately needs. Do not miss this breathtaking, brilliant, must-see cinematic achievement. I SWEAR is not just a film; it is without a doubt, a new and worthwhile experience.
From 5th November 2025, the 2025 Russell Hobbs British Film Festival, presented by Palace, will open in cities across the country, screening at Palace Cinemas, Palace Nova and Luna Palace Cinemas. This year’s sensational lineup showcases British brilliance at its best with hotly anticipated new releases, documentaries and retrospectives.
Opening the festival is the Australian Premiere of THE CHORAL, a sweeping wartime drama with a stellar cast led by Ralph Fiennes, and directed by Nicholas Hytner. As a group of choralists discover the joys of singing, the young male members must also come to terms with their imminent conscription into the army. Exploring humour and humanity at the heart of a community facing an uncertain future, the film also stars Roger Allam, Mark Addy and Amara Okereke.
Oliver Hermanus’ THE HISTORY OF SOUND, is The Special Presentation, starring an electric Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor. A decade spanning romance centered around the power of music, this gorgeous period drama, is a film of lingering melancholic beauty.
Marking the highly anticipated return to the screen of Daniel Day-Lewis, ANEMONE is this year’s Festival Centrepiece. Heralding the directorial debut of son Ronan Day-Lewis, with whom Daniel Day-Lewis co-wrote the script, ANEMONE also features superb performances from Sean Bean and Samantha Morton. The film explores the complex and profound ties that exist between brothers, fathers, and sons.
ANNE HATHAWAY (1556 until 6th August 1623) was the wife of William Shakespeare, an English poet, playwright and actor. They were married in 1582, when ANNE HATHAWAY was pregnant at 26 years old, and William Shakespeare was 18 years old. Closing the festival is Oscar winner Chloé Zhao’s (Nomadland, The Rider) radiant adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s novel HAMNET, starring Jessie Buckley as AGNES SHAKESPEARE and Paul Mescal as WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. Sensitively observed, and magnificently crafted tale about the complexities of love, and the healing power of art with creativity, fully setting the stage for the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, HAMLET. Despite calling ANNE HATHAWAY, by the just very incorrect name of AGNES SHAKESPEARE.
The film festival is delighted to once again welcome naming partner Russell Hobbs — the iconically British appliance brand that’s been adding style, charm, and a proper cup of tea to everyday life since 1952. Dean Hammerton, Marketing Manager, Asia Pacific, says “Thrilled to be back for another year as naming partner for the Russell Hobbs British Film Festival. Always embracing that classic British mix of innovation, tradition, and a dash of style, and those values do align beautifully, with the films being showcased. A real pleasure to once again celebrate the best of British culture, on screen and beyond.”
A standout selection of real-life stories feature in this year’s lineup profiling iconic British identities including John Cleese, Twiggy and John Lennon. In what might be his final European tour, JOHN CLEESE PACKS IT IN is a wry, behind-the-scenes portrait of a comedy legend on the road, battling various ailments, chaotic travel, and his own stubborn refusal to stop.
Exploring the final decade in the life of John Lennon, BORROWED TIME – LENNON’S LAST DECADE is a gripping documentary charting Lennon’s turbulent post-Beatles years of art, activism, and reinvention. Evolving beyond the Beatles, he created music and stood at the forefront of anti-war protests that would make him one of the most influential pop culture icons of all time.
In celebrated documentary TWIGGY, the meteoric rise of the 1960s style icon—bold, sharp, and unforgettable – is explored. The film showcases the fashion, fame, and fearless individuality of Twiggy, during a culturally significant period of British history.
To complement the documentary, Ken Russell’s THE BOY FRIEND (1971), Twiggy’s first film role, also features in this year’s festival. Bursting with glitz, glamour, and cheeky charm, Twiggy shines as an understudy turned star in this dazzling, tap-dancing love letter to 1920s musicals.
From the director of BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, Gurinda Chadha, comes the Australian premiere of CHRISTMAS KARMA, based on the classic Dickens story A Christmas Carol. In Chadha’s Bollywood style musical adaptation, the all-star cast including Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, Eva Longoria and Boy George, bring the story to life in a modern day, diverse London.
I SWEAR is Kirk Jones’s moving, funny and fierce film about John Davidson, the man who taught Britain about Tourette, recently premiered to rave reviews at the latest Toronto International Film Festival. I SWEAR is a biographical comedy/drama directed, written and produced by Kirk Jones. Starring Robert Aramayo, Maxine Peake, Shirley Henderson and Peter Mullan. Based on the true story of John Davidson, who was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome at a time when it was barely identifiable, the film is a comedic and moving story of his journey.
A riotous spoof of period drama mixing forbidden romance, aristocratic scandals, and razor-sharp wit, FACKHAM HALL premieres at selected sessions, just prior to the official release in the UK. With an all-star cast and Jimmy Carr’s absurdist flair, the film skewers tradition while serving nonstop laughs and intrigue.
Actor Harris Dickinson’s searing directorial debut URCHIN follows Mike, sleeping rough on the streets, in his fight for redemption, starring an incredible Frank Dillane in the lead role. Highly lauded at the 2025 Cannes International Film Festival, where it won the FIPRESCI Film and Best Actor prizes. Harrison Dickinson’s directorial debut is deeply rooted in humane authenticity.
The majestic drama THE NORTH, has been described as the “ultimate hiking film”. It is a tale of two old friends who embark on a 600-kilometre journey through the Scottish Highlands, seeking to reconnect not only with nature but with each other and the parts of themselves they have lost.
In icy suspense thriller, DEAD OF WINTER, British icon Emma Thompson plays Barb, a woman travelling alone through snowbound northern Minnesota. Barb interrupts the kidnapping of a teenage girl, and hours from the nearest town and with no phone service, realises that she is the young girl’s only hope.
MOSS & FREUD is the biopic about the life of era-defining supermodel Kate Moss and her relationship with British artist Lucian Freud. When Freud offered to paint Moss nude during the nine months of her pregnancy in 2002, it prompted her to embark on an intense journey of self-discovery.
Documentary BECOMING HITCHCOCK – THE LEGACY OF BLACKMAIL dives into the groundbreaking 1929 film that launched Hitchcock’s signature style. Also screening is Hitchcock’s thriller BLACKMAIL about a woman who kills a man in self-defence but falls victim to a blackmailer, considered a bridge between the silent era and that of the ‘talkies’.
Another must-see for Hitchcock fans, the retrospective HITCHCOCK: THE BEGINNING featuring ten rarely screened, early silent and talkie films from the 1920s to 1930s from the iconic director including NUMBER 17, the last of the era, CHAMPAGNE, MURDER!, THE SKIN GAME and Hitchcock’s only foray into screenwriting, THE RING.
Set in the Scottish Highlands, GLENROTHAN is a powerful tale of two estranged brothers played by Alan Cumming and Brian Cox, in the much loved actor’s directorial debut.
In a film adapted from an acclaimed novella, THE THING WITH FEATHERS charts the struggle of a young father, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, and his sons after a sudden family loss. As they struggle to hold their world together, they start to experience how love can endure in the strangest, most unexpected forms.
Powerhouse performances from Vicky Krieps, Aidan Gillen and Colm Meaney, RE-CREATION is a razor-sharp courtroom drama. Director Jim Sheridan reimagines a trial (based on a real story) that never happened with questions, guilt, bias and memory at the centre of a tense chamber where truth itself is on trial.
Dev Patel and Rosy McEwen electrify in chilling folk-horror RABBIT TRAP where music, myth, and obsession collide. Filmmaker Bryn Chainey’s debut blurs reality into an eerie, unforgettable nightmare that draws the viewer in and never lets go.
With a brilliant ensemble cast led by enigmatic festival favourite Bill Nighy, & SONS is the story of a world-renowned but reclusive novelist who believing he is about to die, summons his estranged sons to his home. An adaptation of the novel of the same name, the family drama also stars Johnny Flynn, George MacKay, Imelda Staunton and Dominic West.
Stories that focus on the older generation include FOUR MOTHERS, a riotous, heartfelt comedy where one man’s burgeoning career implodes as four eccentric mothers of his friends, off on a trip to a Pride festival, invade his Dublin home; and drama DRAGONFLY, starring Brenda Blethyn and Andrea Riseborough, about a neglected pensioner who finds an ally in a younger neighbour in what has been described as a fierce and wonderfully acted film.
A story of resilience, friendship and hope against an unforgiving system, LOLLIPOP is a raw, heartfelt drama. Starring Posy Sterling as Molly, a mother recently released from prison, her fight to reclaim her children and give them a life she never had is unrelenting.
In contemporary noir thriller with a twist ISLANDS, Sam Riley stars as a tennis coach at a holiday resort who befriends a couple with unnerving results and in WORDS OF WAR, the true story of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, who battled for press freedom in Putin’s Russia, is portrayed by an incredible cast including Maxine Peake, James Lawtey, Jason Isaacs (The White Lotus), Ellie Bamber and Ciarán Hinds.
In a special Retrospective entitled BRITISH BRILLIANCE, six iconic British films that have all won Best Picture at the Academy Awards are showcased on the big screen including CHARIOTS OF FIRE, GANDHI, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE, THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, THE ENGLISH PATIENT and from 2010, THE KINGS SPEECH.
Rounding out the superb selection of documentaries is the quirky THE GOLDEN SPURTLE and I AM MARTIN PARR. The contestants of the annual World Porridge Making Championship battle with oats and ladles in a Highland village, celebrating tradition and community in THE GOLDEN SPURTLE; while the playful, provocative portrait I AM MARTIN PARR reveals the iconic British photographer behind the lens and his extraordinary eye on the everyday.
In a celebration of 25 years since its release, BILLY ELLIOT remains a heartwarming tale of grit and grace, following an 11-year-old boy who defies expectations, trading boxing gloves for ballet shoes in a celebration of passion, identity, and the courage to chase dreams.
The Australian premiere of GROW will delight families in an exuberant tale full of giant pumpkins, madcap characters, and a little girl who just might be a pumpkin-growing savant starring Nick Frost, Alan Carr and Jane Horrocks.
The 2025 Russell Hobbs British Film Festival opens on Wednesday 5th November in Sydney, Melbourne, Ballarat, Adelaide, Perth, Byron Bay, Canberra and Brisbane, concluding on Sunday 7th December 2025 in all cities.
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Please visit the Festival website for more information –
https://www.britishfilmfestival.com.au/
Tickets are now on sale –
https://www.britishfilmfestival.com.au/
The Russell Hobbs British Film Festival presented by Palace screens in the following locations from NOV 5 – DEC 7:
Sydney: Palace Norton Street, Palace Moore Park, Chauvel Cinema, Palace Central
