Swung

2015 was quite the year for erotic mainstream movies with troubled men and women. This is another exhibit, in this case the two main characters are a couple, but the man has issues ... performing. One of the worst fears for men, that is not connected with death. Although I reckon some might say it feels the same for them (not me saying that).

Elena Anaya gives quite the central performance and while there is some melodrama and other things that might "weaken" the impact this may otherwise have had on you, this is still quite intriguing. What helps people get off and what does it do to relationships? Can the relationship survive certain incidents? Tough questions and tough answers - and while there is nudity and lust, this probably will not excite you the way it may sound at first. This is a drama after all

I had really hoped "Swung" was going to be one of those inspired indie dramas that I'm always seeking out, but soon enough, seemed the choices the writer got more implausible and felt borderline Hollywood cliche and melodramatic. A beautiful spainish journalist living in Edinborough or Glasgow? is competing with colleages for racy stories at work, and since her husband has ED, maybe investigating swingers will spice up his intimate life. Then the storyline takes these almost TV movie twists, things that are funny aren't meant to be humorous, like overdosing on viagra. Later, they cast Elizabeth McGovern (Downton Abbey) as an american tantrist and guru. Why not a british tantrist? These choices just seemed out of place the whole movie and it affected the flow and quality of the experience, which made me convinced it's a first time director. Sometimes less is more, and I felt that the good set-up of the movie wasn't followed through.

Do not be mislead by the title. I personally think the movie is underrated because viewers are looking for a movie on swinging or some erotic story, while this is accurate image of issues of modern relationships, love and sex. This is quite frank image with characters you may meet at your family or work. Dialogues and plot are top notch and can be interpreted on many levels. Even the nudity says something different than typical smut movie and has different purpose. I think this move deserves a lot more attention. Yes, there are some issues with acting, budget was for sure small, yet, I was surprised by the feelings it left after I finished watching it.

Not sure why its rating is so low, but I enjoyed it. Chose it thinking it would be something I could laugh at, but it turned out to be a drama that was well-performed and held my interest. Definitely enjoyed seeing Ms. McGovern in a role far different from the annoying oracle she played on Downton Abbey. The sex scenes are erotic enough but not overdone, and the focus is on the relationship of the couple.

The two leads were likable and i believed their relationship and chemistry. The film started well, with some nice humour and warmth about erectile dysfunction and keeping a sex life alive, but did start to lose its way towards the final act as things got a little more serious and there were some strange choices for the dramatic finale (the black room was at least original, but a little... weird) But the film was short so never dragged and was well shot with a decent soundtrack. Worth a watch as it's good to support independent films and also it's at least trying something a bit different. I saw a few reviews who seemed to think it was supposed to be making a bit statement about the swinger scene or erectile dysfunction (!) but i never felt that was part of it, it was just a backdrop for the characters to explore their problems. The film was well made for a low budget and passed the time without being boring.