"My Policeman" - Prime Video Film Review
My Policeman bills itself as a forbidden love story that spans decades. Tom (Harry Styles), a young police officer, begins an illicit affair with the local museum curator, Patrick (David Dawson). It’s the 1950s in Brighton, so their relationship must be kept secret, existing only in stolen moments in Patrick’s apartment. All the while, Tom is in a relationship with a school teacher, Marion (Emma Corrin). Their interconnected relationships through the years provide the drama for My Policeman.
As is always the case with Styles, he stands out. In the case of My Policeman, it’s not a particularly good thing. As was the case with Don’t Worry Darling, it’s evident that Styles is trying his damndest to be present in the moment. Anyone who has seen him on tour or read one of his interviews knows that he doesn’t half-ass things. There’s an intensity in him that’s admirable, but doesn’t come across well when he’s acting on screen. Styles’ intense focus on being present makes it all the more obvious that he’s conscious and aware of every movement he makes. It’s unfortunate that he continues to take these dramatic roles because there’s a good performance somewhere within Styles. Perhaps it’s the directors he’s worked with or the genres of films he’s choosing, but there’s a stiffness about Styles that continues to hold him back.
Credit: Amazon Studios
Too much of the film’s runtime is spent with the older versions of Tom (Linus Roache), Patrick (Rupert Everett), and Marion (Gina McKee) in the ’90s. Marion has agreed to let bedridden Patrick move in with her and Tom, though he refuses to even look at Patrick. The older versions of these characters aren’t given much to do except glance moodily at each other or out at the sea, contemplating their youthful decisions. It’s only in the last fifteen minutes do these adult versions of the characters finally stop dancing around one another and have a meaningful conversation. Of course, by then, it’s too little too late.
My Policeman would like to paint itself as a sprawling love story that’s sensual, emotional, and nuanced, but it’s a slog. The three main characters are too wrapped up in their own melodrama to have a lasting impact on the audience. There are plenty of films that blend these themes far more gracefully, and My Policeman did not figure out a means of distinguishing itself from the pack.
Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, Letterboxd, and YouTube.