Swing Bout

We have all seen poorly made boxing films where the action is spoiled by unconvincing fight scenes. This is not one of those movies.

A boxing themed film where you never once see the ring? Never see the combatants following the Queensbury rules? Shouldn't work. Absolutely does work. Beautifully

The story is the double dealing backstage antics and rivalry of many different threads and not the fights themselves. And it is far, far more interesting because of this.

There's humour a plenty from O'Riordan and cast, drama and high stakes. But there is also sensitivity and real gut wrenching emotion from Berkeley and Cronin in particular, wonderfully driven by O'Riordan.

Not what you expect. But all the better because of this.

Well done in all aspects.

A constantly surprising independent film that can go to toe to toe in any ring with the big shots.

Buyoed by a set of captivating central performances, Swing Bout captures a seedy underbelly of corruption while keeping a clear focus on strong character development and finds a way to make a virtue of a tight budget while still feeling like a momentous fight night.

At times it seems like a roving documentary crew have managed to invade some grimy inner sanctum to lay bear the faults and failures of a system thay brutalises bodies while propping up suits in the background. Strongly recommended.

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.

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.

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.