Swing Bout

I was lucky enough to see Swing Bout at a sold out full house at the Dublin International Film Festival. Simply put, the film is excellent. It lit a fire in me, a need to make another film. The passion of everyone involved eminates from the screen.

The writing and directing is sharp and energetic. The performances are captivating and nuanced. The production is extremely polished. Camera, lighting, sound, makeup, all the departments excel at their roles.

The story is universal, making it accessible to all, no matter your background or where you are from. I will be watching this film again and have no doubt the team behind it will continue to thrive and make more and more hits.

Two young women boxers await their chance to shine in a competitive, brutal sport, the real stories happening outside the ring. Dealing with her ruthless coach (Sinead O'Riordan), Toni (Ciara Berkeley) paces backstage with an unspoken anxiety that hints at her troubled backstory, while her opponent Vicki (Chrissie Cronin) is pushed to her limits by her father (Johnny Elliot) with a subtle manipulation that hints perhaps at the unfulfillment of his own broken dreams. Accomplished performances bring authenticity to the claustrophobia of the backstage areas where several, interconnecting narratives entwine with growing tension. Shots of dramedy spiral darkly into violent and deceitful actions of opposing brothers in crime (Ben Condron and Frank Prendergast) as ruthless coach Emma plays her own game of manipulation and dishonesty. A visceral exploration by the director (Maurice O'Carroll), SWING BOUT portrays the murkier and male-dominated side of the business, and I was left wanting more from the female characters of Toni and Vicki who both shine from the screen with trajectories of light and dark, bravery and fear, their ambitions at the mercy of the influencers whom control their fates.

This was a Great film well executed. The Cast was brilliantly selected with some fantastic performances throughout the film.

From the 1st minute of the film it had an intense tone which was both immersive and attention catching.

I also found the tension that was built up by the tone of the movie was brilliantly broken by the humour that definitely landed.

The choice of actors used was done perfectly with some break out performances from young actors who really handled their roles well.

The creators did a fantastic job of giving you the feeling you where there.

The tense atmosphere of the movie was felt throughout Great movie.

Swing Bout is a visceral, intense, gritty indie production, I really enjoyed it and was never bored once unlike some bigger budget budget films, so hats off to all involved.

All of the characters were strong and direct with snappy dialogue and one or two punches were thrown verbally and physically(poor Micko) The main action isn't where you might expect it which was actually a nice surprise which left me wanting more(Swing Bout two, maybe?) I thoroughly recommend this film which should really be seen on the big screen, go see it in the cinema for full dramatic effect, you won't be disappointed.

Set in the world of female boxing competions, this low budget feature really punches above it's weight. Beautifully acted and directed, it's story is gripping and personal. I'd highly recommend a look to see just how much can be done to create character driven story and tension, with a small amount of finance. The editing is tight and the performances are powerful. The soundtrack keeps us feeling the presence of the boxing ring, while the ensemble of actors brings us into the messy and conflicted world of the boxing competitions. It is a powerhouse of a production and I look forward to seeing what is next for this team.