EIFF 2015: Swung
Colin Kennedy’s adaptation of Ewan Morrison’s novel about a couple’s experience of the Glasgow swingers' scene opens with a limp joke about erectile disfunction. But don’t judge it too quickly: this isn’t some ooh-er-missus sex comedy.
The reason why out-of-work designer David (McDonnell) and lifestyle journalist Alice (Anaya) enter into this salacious world is twofold: Alice is looking for a juicy magazine story; David, meanwhile, finds that watching other people have sex temporarily abates the medical condition that’s introduced with that opening knob gag.
Kennedy manages to create a tone that’s both playful and sexy, a fine balancing act that's achieved by making his camera as curious and nonjudgmental as his protagonists. There’s a TV cheesiness to some of the supporting roles, but the central pair bring warmth and compassion – and, crucially, sexual chemistry. If there’s a sour note, it’s the conservatism that creeps into the film in its final third, but until then this is a mature and humane peek behind an exotic side of Glasgow that’s rarely seen on screen.
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Swung had its UK premiere at EIFF 2015
Swung is released in the UK in November