For expediency, I’ll get to the point: Harry Styles is very good in My Policeman.
It’s worth acknowledging upfront because the film’s success depends a lot on him and the cast. Stories like that of Tom Burgess are heartbreakingly familiar. Many people who cannot love freely trap themselves in soul-crushing arrangements that leave lasting scars. Without breaking new storytelling ground, My Policeman requires a deep investment in its central trio. As one character pointedly asks in the film, “who is My Policeman,” and why should we care?
My Policeman, which premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, is the story of closeted policeman Tom Burgess, played by Styles and Linus Roache. The older Tom’s unassuming life with his wife Marion (Gina McKee and Emma Corrin) is upended when she invites his former lover Patrick (Rupert Everett and David Dawson) into their home after his stroke. Effectively trapped, the complicated triad must contend with decades of lies, betrayal, and pain, explored in flashbacks to 1950s England, when homosexuality was a jailable offense.
Despite the open hostility of ‘50s British society and the simmering resentment in the Burgess ‘90s home, My Policeman is a remarkably tender film. Michael Grandage directs with a delicate hand that never intrudes or expressly telegraphs his intentions. He isn’t passive, but you feel the extra care he put into constructing the film’s two distinct eras. When Grandage does aim for stylistic flourishes, the results earn their desired emotion. For instance, the film’s ending scene is a startlingly heartfelt resolution to unrequited love and missed opportunities, worthy of its toying with the separate timelines.
My Policeman’s sense of loveliness is core to Tom and Patrick’s early relationship. With Ron Nyswaner’s gorgeous screenplay in hand, Grandage gently pulls the intoxicating warmth and comfort between the two men to the surface, separate but equal to the yearning and trauma. He strikes a compelling, beautiful balance. Tom and Patrick’s love scenes are intense, passionate, and sometimes explicit, but the sweetness remains. (Styles’ controversial comments in Rolling Stone make more sense in this context.) In their quieter and reflective moments, the heat doesn’t dissipate, as if only polite manners keep them from ravishing each other in public.
In the face of such all-consuming love, where does that leave Marion? My Policeman doesn’t paint her as either an outright villain or victim caricature. Instead, Marion is a fully-fledged human in her right, capable of compassion and cruelty when tasked with seeking what she thinks will make her happy. Even when her actions and words are reprehensible or predictable, she receives the same tender care as her husband and his lover. (If there is a villain in My Policeman, it is virulent homophobia, responsible for the film’s most brutal, unforgiving moments.)
This brings us back to My Policeman’s cast, responsible for realizing Grandage’s gentle vision. The six-person ensemble is uniformly terrific, with some standouts. Emma Corrin, resplendent as Princess Diana in The Crown’s most recent season, is even better as younger Marion. They cover the widest section of the emotional spectrum and delivers each beat with a magnetic radiance you can’t ignore. As the older Marion, Gina McKee reflects Corrin’s energies while adding a dimension of weariness and resignation that compounds Marion’s tragedy. Weariness also informs David Dawson’s excellent performance, alongside heartrending sparks of hope and passion that reflect Patrick’s past experiences.
As for Harry Styles, he gives a very good performance, easily his best thus far. He is still figuring himself out as an actor, struggling with a stilted line reading here and some slight stiffness there. However, he has moments of true excellence, especially with Dawson. The two have palpable chemistry, and Styles is at his most relaxed and authentic with him. Against such a seasoned cast, Styles holds his own. He proves that, while there’s room for growth, he has a future as an actor if he chooses to pursue it.
My Policeman’s greatest strength lies in its tender approach to its passionate romance. Michael Grandage conceives Tom Burgess’ story with a genuine sweetness that doesn’t stifle its vitality. On the contrary, it feels even more alive because of its preciousness. The film is a quietly devastating effort, reminding us that with love and pain capable of lasting a lifetime, we should always strive for the former.
When faced with the latter, however, My Policeman also reminds us that there can be a path beyond it if we try.
My Policeman had its World Premiere in the Special Presentation section of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival. The film opens in theaters on October 21, and premieres globally on Prime Video on November 4, 2022.
Director: Michael Grandage
Writer: Ron Nyswaner
Rated: R
Runtime: 113 minutes
A Remarkably Tender, Quietly Devastating Gay Love Story
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GVN Rating 8
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User Ratings (6 Votes)
7.2
A late-stage millennial lover of most things related to pop culture. Becomes irrationally irritated by Oscar predictions that don’t come true.