My dear reader(s), yesterday I finished up (maybe?) vacation with my most anticipated film of the year, My Policeman.
Spoiler level here will be mild, nothing you wouldn't know from the trailers.
In 1950s England, where homosexuality is illegal, a museum curator and a policeman fall in love.
My Policeman tells the story of forbidden love between Patrick (David Dawson/Rupert Everett) and Tom (Harry Styles/Linus Roche). The movie effortlessly flows among personal perspectives and time periods (the events of the 50s, and the individuals' lives and reflections some 40 years later). Every member of the cast is fantastic, with special kudos to Roche and Everett, who carry the heaviest bit of the emotional load. If you're wondering about Harry Styles, whose name is the one above the title, he's so good I didn't think of him as Harry at all while watching. (Harry Styles occupies approximately 95% of my brain, so kindly respect how terrific he had to be to achieve that.) The story is mature and deliberately paced, and the principals' influences and motivations are portrayed with painful nuance. There's no hint of sensationalism or of capitalizing on Styles' "other" career here. Rather, you get a feeling that all involved understood the weight they carried in telling this tale, and writing, performances, and even promotion show how seriously they took that responsibility. In these frightening times, when the world often seems to be moving backwards, My Policeman offers a somber and timely reminder of the cost of bigotry and hate.
My Policeman clocks in at 113 minutes and is rated R for sexual content.
My Policeman is a story of heartbreak and hope, well crafted and beautifully acted. Of a possible nine Weasleys, My Policeman gets eight and a half.
My Policeman continues to play in select theatres, and is now streaming worldwide on Amazon Prime.
Until next time...
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