A police officer, his wife, and an art curator at a museum are the main characters in Michael Grandage’s new movie My Policeman, which includes Harry Styles as one of the main characters. The 2012 book of the same name by Bethan Roberts served as the basis for the film. Because it was based on an immensely popular book, people were eager to see it.
And we can say that Grandage really didn’t disappoint. The director managed to create a sensitive, emotional, beautiful, and delicate film—one of those that makes you reflect when it ends.
The plot follows Tom (Styles), a young man who returns to his hometown and begins working as a police officer after serving in the army, according to a script that Ron Nyswaner (of Philadelphia) signed. During his youth, he meets Marion (Emma Corrin), a beautiful and delicate girl who soon falls in love with him.
Gradually, the two build a romance, and although Marion shows much more interest in the relationship, Tom also embarks on the story.
It turns out that, during this time as lovers, the police officer meets Patrick (David Dawson), an art curator passionate about drawing ordinary people. They first meet in a street accident and quickly become friends.
While Patrick, who is aware of his sexual orientation, is enchanted by Tom, the policeman, who is also aware of his orientation, is unable to comprehend his feelings and ultimately succumbs to his desires, engaging in a loving and sexual relationship with the healer.
Tom gives himself lovingly and sexually to Patrick. (Image: Reproduction/Amazon Studios)
It is worth remembering that being LGBTQIA+ in England in the 1950s, the period in which the story of My Policeman is set was considered a crime, and it is from this perspective that the story is told. Grandage expertly shepherds a complex plot with great finesse.
If Patrick is a well-resolved man who is unhappy about not being able to live his love life to the fullest, Tom is discovering himself but will live hidden behind a sham marriage. Meanwhile, Marion remains unaware of what is going on, but when she finds out, she decides to ignore the facts and try to recover their relationship.
She does this because she loves Tom, but also because she believes that this is her obligation as a woman: to undo herself for her husband’s sake.
Each of the characters is equally relevant and has their own issues, and this is worked very well in the script so that it is possible to empathize with the internal struggle of each of them. Styles, Corrin, and Dawson all do great jobs with their roles, which makes the movie even more fun to watch.
From present to past
And it’s not just the three actors who give commendable performances. Linus Roache, Gina McKee, and Rupert Everett, respectively, live Tom, Marion, and Patrick in their more mature phases, and they also don’t disappoint in front of the cameras.
In the contemporary version, they are elderly and Patrick is bedridden after having a stroke. He goes to Marion and Tom’s house to be taken care of, but while the former treats him with affection, the former police officer cannot even approach him.
The choice to show “the outcome” right at the beginning of the film awakens curiosity about what happened between the two ex-lovers at the same time and makes us focus even more on the unfolding of the story; this is another success of My Policeman.
It is also worth mentioning that Marion rediscovering herself as a woman and going after her happiness in the final scenes is a delight for the viewer.
Photography and soundtrack
My Policeman features strong acting and a solid script in addition to stunning photography and a soundtrack that flows naturally with the story.
In the scenes that take place in the 1950s, the use of vibrant colors prevails in cars, clothes, and scenery, showing a more colorful and happy time in the lives of the three protagonists. Nowadays, the use of cold tones shows a certain sadness for the direction that life has taken.
Sex scenes are not impressive
A controversial (and much-commented) point of the film was the sex scenes. Throughout the story, there are about five of them, some of whom are Tom and Marion and some of whom are Tom and Patrick.
However, although the subject had more repercussions than the film itself, there is nothing to justify such controversies—apart from, of course, veiled homophobia. This means that there are no scenes that are vulgar or unnecessarily expose the actors.
Everything depicted in gay sex—buttocks and affection—had previously been depicted in straight sex in several other productions. When Harry Styles said it was more about “making love” than the sex itself, he didn’t lie. The scenes are beautiful and do not impress negatively.
A tale of two men falling in love, plus something else
There is no denying that the film is really a beautiful and sad love story between Tom and Patrick, but it would be very shallow to reduce Tom to a gay man. That’s because at no point in the film does he define himself that way, and he always reinforces that he liked Marion and didn’t want to lose her.
In one of his lines, he tells her, “I wanted you, but I wanted him too”, and reinforces his feelings for the girl again. In addition, in the sex scenes, Tom, although he is more comfortable with Patrick, does not show displeasure when he is with his wife.
In a way, he loved her and wanted her, and that cannot be erased. Perhaps it is more consistent to read the policeman as a bisexual man and Patrick as a homosexual.
Is “My Policeman” worth watching?
Anyone who likes a beautiful, well-written, and exciting story will certainly like My Policeman. With good performances and beautiful photography, the feature makes an excellent debut in 2022 and is available on Prime Video.