From a portrait of struggling with Tourettes, to an affair with Shakespeare, this year’s British Film Festival is eclectic, to say the least
Don’t hesitate to dive into this year’s jam-packed, star-studded lineup in the British Film Festival, boasting some of your favourite British actors, including Ralph Fienes, Daniel Day-Lewis, Josh O’Connor, Twiggy, Emma Thompson and more.
This year’s program includes a standout selection of documentaries from John Gleese to Twiggy to John Lennon, to documenting Hitchcock’s beginnings in his groundbreaking early films: Becoming Hitchcock- The Legacy of Blackmail.
My pick is Twiggy, which charts the meteoric rise of a 1960s style icon – bold, sharp, unforgettable. If a retrospective is more your style, check out the British brilliance showcasing the Best Picture Oscar-winning British classic films including Chariots of Fire, The English Patient and more.
More worthy festival highlights include Ralph Fiennes in the war-time drama The Choral, the anticipated directorial debut from Ronan Day-Lewis, Anemone, starring his father Daniel Day-Lewis – it’s a compelling drama exploring profound ties between brothers, fathers and sons.
The History of Sound, led by the talented Paul Mescal and Josh O’Connor, offers a touching, elegant romance about love, memory and cultural preservation. If you love Shakespeare, then you must see the closing night feature Hamnet, a masterpiece from Academy Award-winning director Chloe Zhao. Set in 1580 England, William Shakespeare has a torrid love affair with an impoverished Latin tutor, setting the stage for the creation of his classic play Hamlet.
The absolute must-see, my personal favourite film of the year and Cream’s feature review is the compelling realistic drama, I Swear directed by Kirk Jones (still, pictured top of story). A beautifully poignant family drama, infused with humour and gritty realism is an extraordinary real-life tale of John Robinson living with the struggle Tourettes, amidst the impoverished working-class suburbs of 1980s London. Robert Aramyo embodies John with a raw humility capturing the warmth, the angst and resilience, as John rallies against being misunderstood and the pressures of working-class prejudice, in a time when his condition was largely misunderstood.
Together with a supporting cast, all remarkable performances illuminate the courage , heartbreak and laughter that propels the portrait of one man’s transformative journey that reminds you of the importance of affirmation of identity, power of voice and unconditional love. I Swear is an audience pleaser, I laughed hard while crying and, unlike any film on offer this year, John’s story is inspiring, a courageous individual that fills the viewer with hope to see the good in people and for an appreciation of the struggles of living with Tourette syndrome, while lobbying against fear of the unknown.
The British Film Festival is on until 7 December, 2025 at Palace Cinemas, Perth.
Tickets are available here.
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