My Policeman
In the late 1990s, the arrival of elderly invalid Patrick into Marion and Tom’s home triggers the exploration of seismic events from 40 years previous: the passionate relationship between Tom and Patrick at a time when homosexuality was illegal.
- Released:
- Runtime: 120 minutes
- Genre: Drama, Romance
- Stars: Emma Corrin, Harry Styles, David Dawson, Linus Roache, Gina McKee, Rupert Everett, Dora Davis, Kadiff Kirwan, Andrew Tiernan, Jack Bandeira, Tristan Sturrock, Richard Dempsey, Maddie Rice, Róisín Monaghan, Pierre Bergman, Paul Candelent, Sarah Lockett, Ian Drysdale, Joseph Potter, Harry Attwell, James Hare, James Hare-Cole, Richard Cant
- Director: Michael Grandage
Comments
- denkacik - 29 January 2024
It was lovely movie!
Even tho is was so sad it was pretty and beatufiul. I watched it because of Harry and it was worth it. The age rating is really too much, it wasnt that bad how i expected. There are few sex scenes but barely something is seen. But there was a lot smoking and drinking but i didnt mind it. It was amazing movie but again really sad how i said. I loved the music writen to it, it has its vibe and i love it, im here for it. But i really loved that even after so many years they got together. It was so heart warming and im proud they could be who they wanted to be. I loved acting, storyline, EVERYTHING. - moviesfilmsreviewsinc - 3 August 2023
Heartbreaking
Harry Styles' second film of 2022, an adaptation of Bethan Roberts' novel, is a weepy British queer period piece. The film's protagonist, PC Tom Burgess, is portrayed as a tourist awkwardly stumbling upon a movie set. His co-star, Emma Corrin, is hardly better as his stuffy lover, but neither proves themselves as a lead. Styles' inexperience as a leading man in this film is evident, as he stands and speaks awkwardly on the set. The film's youthful talent is a cause for concern, as it is a breathless bore."My Policeman" follows Tom and Marion, now retired, as they navigate their marriage in a seaside town. Their marriage is strained, but they are interrupted by Patrick, their estranged friend. Marion cares for Patrick after a stroke, and Tom refuses to see him, despite his wife's claims that he taught them art. The film's director, Michael Grandage, delivers a strong performance. "My Policeman" tells the story of a couple in 1950s Britain, Marion (Corrin) and Tom (Styles), who meet on a beach. Tom is a humble and working-class man who teaches Marion how to swim, and they start dating. Tom is the opposite of Marion, who is educated and arts-focused. They eventually meet Patrick (David Dawson), a museum curator who knows Tom from being a witness in one of his cases. The trio becomes inseparable, and it seems that Patrick might be attracted to Marion and her. However, they are in a closeted sexual relationship. The messy triangle suggests tension and sympathy for a hopelessly romantic woman who is a victim of two men who are also victims of the country's homophobic laws. However, the trio doesn't fit easily into easy boxes: Tom demands law and order, Marion is homophobic, and Patrick is a friend. The film's lack of chemistry between the actors and Grandage's blocking and editing by Chris Dickens hide Styles' deficiencies. His physical understanding of the character lacks specificity, his line deliveries are monotone, and he doesn't project allure. There is no interiority or charm in anything he does, and even his sex scenes are without bite."My Policeman" is a soporific film with a masterpiece screenplay that tells a gay love story through the elderly Marion, a straight cis-woman adopting Patrick's memories. The script's set-up is intriguing but lacks a coherent vision and a rushed ending. The characters' inner lives are underwritten, making them unmemorable, especially with Marion's flawed personality. The movie is surface-level queer representation lacking visual imagination and begging for better performances. It's a glacially paced movie that tells nothing new and leaves the viewer with no sense of emotion or wonder. The film commits the gravest crimes and is soulless. Michael Grandage's new film, set on a gloomy English seafront, is a delicate and Rattiganesque melodrama of repression and regret. The story follows the aging couple Tom and Marion, who are inspired by the famous ménage between novelist EM Forster, policeman Bob Buckingham, and his wife May. The film features Linus Roache and Gina McKee as Tom and Marion, respectively, who are a former police officer and retired schoolteacher. Tom's dismay is heightened when Marion takes a local resident, Patrick, as part of a volunteer outreach program.
