The Swearing Jar

Someone else reviewed this film and likened it to a Hallmark movie. I can only surmise they have never seen a Hallmark movie because there is no similarity whatsoever.

It's a beautifully crafted set of snapshots of all the places we go as people during our relationships. It shows us our strengths and our weaknesses, it shows that life has one course to lead but many adventures along the way and we have to embrace everything we can and let go of all that we can too.

Clemens is beautiful in this film, she truly is the epitome of Carey: of all women living Carey's life. She reminds me of a young Michelle Williams. Raw, but cleverly raw.

The direction and dialogue is superb, and I watched it all in one go which is rare for me. If you sometimes wonder about life and love and death and loss, watch this.

I love Adelaide Clemons and Patrick J Adams, and now I love Douglas Smith. But I don't love this film and I wanted to. The dialogue is overwritten and wordy, and unnatural. And then there's the halting and stuttering style in which it's delivered. It makes for overly long and tedious scenes being stretched beyond their meaning. It was really annoying.

These are such terrific actors but they seemed manhandled by the writing and directing and therefore constrained or trapped in what could otherwise be a very compelling story. Only Patrick J Adams seemed to be able to get beyond these shackles. He's natural and engaging and able to allow his quiet subtext to roar without drawing attention to it. I wish his role had been larger. And I wish the other two very talented actors could have done the same. It's my impression that they weren't allowed.

Adelaide Clemons (and I didn't know this) has a beautiful singing voice and her songs, sprinkled through the narrative, are effective even when the narrative isn't. There are a few really strong moments but they're just too few to elevate this film to the "must see" level. Most of the scenes are just way too drawn out and just have way, way, too many words in them. The script seems like something that sounded really good in the writer's head, or looked good on paper, but does not sound right on people. They just don't talk this way in real life.

This was , a film about love and relationship, swearing and promising, secrets and decieft, loss and pain, periodplanning and having a baby, a film about life and death, hormonal imbalance and deadly disease, and not to forget the importance of having a family, however bad it is.

A small casted but ever so filled with beautifulness, faces that i wont easy forget, especially ms.clemmens, cause she really reminded me about someone that i used to know.

Its a film about how priceless life is when youre in the turmoil of living it, and testifyes how shortlived life is. So grab your dear ones by the hand and live out your desires, because therell be a day when it all ends, very abrubt and senseless...

a well interpreted script from a novel that isnt to well known internationally, nevertheless they cant rip away the fact that this is a production that contains near perfect harmony, the cast is merely perfect for the caracters, and the musical score and vocal talents of ms. Clemmens is just unbelievable...

i might sound like a baptized grumpy old man that usually hates romcoms, but when it comes with twists and turns that are so earthshakingly shocking as in this feature movie there are no other way round than ...SEE THIS... i will for sure bring my wife in for a 2nd look, have allready bougt a kolli of kleenex, cause, yeah , its that kind of movie. Simply perfect and dug deep in m,y sole.

The Swearing Jar is a new musical romantic drama directed by Lindsay MacKay. After Wet Bum, this is only the second film she has directed.

Carey (Adelaide Clemens) is a young musician and is in a relationship with Simon (Patrick J. Adams). Their relationship isn't perfect, because sometimes they love each other very much, other times they also hate each other incredibly. Yet they are expecting a child together.

When they can't see each other for a while, Carey bumps into another man with whom she also seems to have good chemistry. This leaves Carey with a difficult choice.

The story of this film was written by Kate Hewlett, who further based it on her own play. Together with the director, she ensures that the film remains faithful to this play. The story only remains on a predictable side and for a romantic drama the film offers little else.

What the film manages to carry is more the beautiful singing work of the cast members, who have a good chemistry with each other, but otherwise it remains a standard romantic drama. For example, after the singing and their good mutual chemistry, the cast members also seem a bit standard when the romance and songs retreat a bit.

I would concur with the other reviews here, this was an amazing gem of a movie, that beautifully written and filmed.

I came into the theatre expecting one specific journey and was presented with a different one that ultimately spoke to my heart. The actors charmed me throughout the entire story which proved to be funny, painful, soulful and entertaining. All the feels are happening here.

Also, a shout out for the casting of Kathleen Turner who we do not nearly get to see enough of these days.

I would definitely recommend a having a box of tissue handy for this one, as well as a glass of champagne.