Tom, a policeman in 1950s Britain, falls in love with a schoolteacher on the Brighton coast. However, he soon begins a passionate same-sex affair with a museum curator, in spite of homosexuality being illegal.
A gentle romance drama which depicts the beauty of love, in all forms. My Policeman (2022) is an attempt at showcasing a queer relationship and the extra complications during the 1950s. The reality of Tom’s love triangle shown through flashbacks is heartbreaking, beautifully heartbreaking and utterly tragic. The reality of this story is deeply saddening but executed well through flashbacks and the reading of Patrick’s diary.
For an introduction to Styles’ acting career this feature doesn’t quite get off the ground. Styles’ tries hard to deliver a convincing performance but instead gives a forced attempt lacking any believable emotion. Casting Styles was an intelligent decision but sadly he didn’t bring the charm that was expected and glided through the film uncomfortable and with little impact. Although, the contrast from Dawson’s performance brings a magnificent performance - every time he is on screen the film lights up and brings a sense of warm and real.
My Policeman (2022) has sadly left little impression on me, the story is tragically beautiful but the execution of it was slightly too stylised and lacked any real emotion. The characters were all two dimensional and didn’t allow me to connect with them fully, I found there was a disconnect and that was often due to the performances of the ‘younger’ actors. In saying that, David Dawson was easily the stand out for me. His embodiment of the character was truly beautiful to watch and it was also reinforced by his ‘older’ self. Overall, I commend this film for its unapologetic approach to queer representation in film and I appreciate the commitment to the narrative from the actors being vulnerable and open. Sadly though, this film was lacking emotion until the very end - when Tom and Patrick finally reunite in their later years and simply embrace, I found this to be the most powerful and touching moment throughout.
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