Swing Bout

Great independent Irish cinema with no agendas, just great storytelling and great characters on a roller coaster of adrenaline. I loved the characters, they felt real and relatable. The plot and sub-plot interweved perfectly and the comedy and drama balance was perfect. Well done to all involved.

When you consider the rubbish that Hollywood is churning out with massive budgets and then when you see what talented passionate people can produce with tiny budgets without the interference of studios and agendas it's clear that allowing directors and producers to be their authentic selves and tell stories they believe in leads to far superior work. It's a pity the industry is so upside down like this, but its refreshing to know that great cinema still exists. Highly recommend.

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.

A gripping film with a big heart and a captivating collection of characters. The story unfolds in the locker-room, offices, toilets and corridors, and cleverly manages to keep up the exhilarating tension without ever bringing us into the ring, and the fact that we never see the ring makes the story all the more powerful. The very relatable characters are brought to life by brilliant performances and sharply written and authentic dialogue. All the above along with a great soundscape, rich cinematography and thoughtful visual design make this a refreshing treat of a film. I'll look forward to the team's next creation.

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.

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.