My Policeman

Laid-back, understated, emotionally honest look at forbidden love in 1950s Britain and what it does to three people who love each other to varying extents, with a judicious, unshowy screenplay by Ron Nyswaner ("Philadelphia") and tender direction by Michael Grandage. It makes Brighton look gorgeous, and it peers into the lives of teacher Marion, policeman Tom, and museum curator Patrick with an appealing non-judgmentalism. You can pick at it: Why does the latter-day Tom treat Patrick like that, and how much does Marion know and when does she know it, and why don't we find out more about Marion's BFF, and the 1999 sequences aren't as rooted in 1999 as the 1957 sequences are in 1957. I still don't see what everyone sees in Harry Styles, it's a timid performance that could use more swagger. But the rest of the cast is excellent, and the fadeout had everyone around me weeping.

Brokeback Mountain perfected the tragically doomed period gay love story and "My Policeman" borrows more than a few beats from the original masterpiece. Emma Corrin is basically a more naive and developed version of Michelle Williams's character, both remarkable in each part to be fair.

The whole thing has a sightly deja-vu feeling and is classic to a fault. I guess this explains the bad reviews but, truth is, this is an absolutely fine film. It certainly didn't deserve all the hate especially compared to that other and really terrible Harry Styles vehicule. Here his soft spoken acting perfectly fits the blunt straightforwardly straight character. The harsh selfishness of youngTom is the most fascinating and refreshing element of the film.

My Policeman uses the traditional biographic structure of back and forth timelines to great results. The idealism of the 50s sequences full of gorgeous arts, elegant flats, cosy countryside and rapturous love is in stark contrast with the gloomy grey suburban present days. It is true than the movie would have benefited from a more balanced use of the present time rather than just being the obvious reminder of a world of redemption and social progress.

But My Policeman is gripping as an exploration of the dark places romance can put us through.

Greetings again from the darkness. This is one of those prestige movies that simply isn't as important as it portends to be. That doesn't mean it's unwatchable, only that it lacks the emotional weight and depth to which it strives. Director Michael Grandage (GENIUS, 2016) is working from a script that Ron Nyswaner (PHILADELPHIA, 1993) adapted from the 2012 book by Bethan Roberts ... itself inspired by the true story of writer EM Forster.

The film employs a familiar structure, alternating between the 1950s and 1990s, utilizing two sets of actors playing three main characters. Pop star Harry Styles and his handsome face and lush head of hair plays young police officer Tom, who one day at the beach is introduced to the lovely and educated Marion (Emma Corrin, Lady Di in "The Crown"). The two begin spending a good deal of time together with Tom being the perfect 'gentleman', even after an extended courtship. He introduces art-loving Marion to his friend Patrick (David Dawson, ALL THE OLD KNIVES, 2022), a museum curator who has many common interests with Marion ... including that of Tom.

The decades-later episodes find Marion (Gina McKee, IN THE LOOP, 2009) inviting stroke victim Patrick (Rupert Everett) to convalesce at the seaside village home she shares with long-time husband Tom (Linus Roche, BATMAN BEGINS, 2005). What we learn is that Marion has done so out of guilt and Tom is not happy with her for doing so, and completely avoids his long-ago friend by taking an inordinate number of walks with his dog along the shoreline. If the two time periods aren't enough for us to understand these relationships, older Marion begins reading Patrick's diaries from those past years and learns the details of what she suspected all along. This cruel invasion of privacy goes far beyond the doubts her younger self had when she saw the portrait of Tom that Patrick drew, or the time Patrick hired Tom as an assistant on art excursion to Venice.

The film opens with Dean Martin crooning his classic, "Memories are Made of This", and while it may be an obvious precursor to what we are to watch, it's always a pleasure to hear Dean on a modern sound system. The three characters navigate (quite poorly actually) a messy taboo triangle of love, passion, and deceit, making for a mostly sad story from all angles. It may stress the 1950's attitudes toward sexual preferences, but mostly it shows how the past is always present ... always hovering, even over once-close friendships and loves.

The film opens in select theaters on October 21 and on Prime Video on November 4, 2022.

Not reading the book, being interested by music of Harry Stiles and admiring Rupert Everett, it is just easy to not ignore this movie.

The expectation - maybe influenced by Firebird by Peeter Rabane. Sure, different context but same spider webb of intolerance .

The film is just gifted. Good acting, fair story, seductive images.

But you can not feel the tension , emotions and the deepness of the inner fights of characters.

So, you have one verdict - a beautiful film. But the connections are too fragile and you feel entire story as exterior one .

But it works.

And the delicate bitterness remains a precious gift from Michael Grandage.

I can hardly believe the 6.8 rating on here for this wonderful life long romance journey. The screenplay is brilliant - but perhaps some people marked it down because in fact its not just fiction.

Similar stories have continued for generations. The story of forbidden love and conformity collide together in this surprising piece of excellent work.

The (surprising) cast (young and older) were all excellent in this forbidden love triangle. This story is not make believe; whilst I am not saying the storyline is common - I am saying its not unusual for those times. Perhaps less so these days.

The low score on here surprises me - considering much higher scores are given to series/films that are complete codswallop.

Give it a go - but its not for the bigoted or squeamish.

SPOILER ALERT: there are no gun chases/Shoot outs not car chases.