My wife and I rarely get evenings out without our daughter, so we thought this looked like an interesting film to watch. Since it’s been out for a few weeks, we booked our tickets before it disappeared from the cinema, as the trailer caught our eye. My wife has also joined me and bought a Cineworld Unlimited pass, which is perfect.
Based on a real-life story about John Davidson, who suffers from Tourette’s, this biographical comedy drama follows his journey from a teenager struggling to come to terms with his new realities faced with Tourette’s, through to the present day. The film documents his challenges, his friendship with mental health nurse and supporter Dotty, and the impact on him and his family.
It’s undoubtedly a challenging film to portray Tourette’s sensitively, so the humour of the realities faced is carefully balanced to allow for a realistic portrayal with an underlying serious message. John’s journey to navigate life successfully and support others through his own struggles is central to the story.
John is played by Robert Aramayo, and Dotty by Maxine Peake. Both are excellent and believably portray their characters. Aramayo skilfully portrays John’s struggles, realistically conveying the challenges,tics, and sensitively depicting how Tourette’s manifests. Peake also is excellent casting, captivates, and portrays friend Dotty in a caring and sensitive manner.
The film’s pacing works well through the decades, from the 80s to the present. It effectively relays important key story moments, depicting real-life events. Early on, the film features fitting music like New Order’s “Blue Monday.” However, as the film progresses, it becomes more instrumental until the end credits. This could have been an opportunity to create a more fitting soundtrack that matched the decades as the story unfolded.
Overall, this is a very enjoyable film that feels realistic and documents John’s journey and challenges. The direction and the casting is excellent. If you get a chance to see it in the cinema, do get yourself a ticket.
Film score
3 out of 5 (mainly instrumental)
Strength of story/plot
5 out of 5
Acting/Performances
5 out of 5
Overall
4.5 out of 5
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