Tom Burgess, a policeman, is gay. Marion, a schoolteacher, falls in love with him nonetheless. So does Patrick Hazelwood, a museum curator. Because of the social constraints of the era, Tom and Marion get married, even though Tom is only in love with Patrick.
Set in the 1950s, newly appointed policeman Tom (Harry Styles) starts to date shy schoolteacher Marion (Emma Corrin) but ends up having an affair with Patrick (David Dawson), a museum curator. Marion becomes the couple’s beard without her realizing it. For those unfamiliar with the term, a “beard” is a person who is used to conceal the sexual orientation of their so-called partner.
The three reunite again later in life, but Tom refuses to see Patrick after their past falling out. Marion does her best to help Patrick after he suffers a stroke but struggles with the tension in the house and once again finds herself being caught between the two men.
First, I must say that Harry Styles is fine in this movie. I would not call him a bad actor. The problem is that he does not hold a candle against his co-stars. Florence Pugh easily outacted him in “Don’t Worry Darling,” I would say that both Emma Corrin and David Dawson do that here too. If Styles chooses to continue down this acting path, I would recommend doing more supporting roles.
Emma Corrin impressed me in season four of “The Crown” as Princess Diana. She was easily the standout of that season. And while I’m glad to see her getting more roles, I wish her character was more developed. We just see that Marion is unhappy with her situation. We do not see her come to terms with Tom’s sexuality. We do not know if she ever had any affairs of her own. Most importantly, we do not see what her life is like outside of Tom and Patrick.
Dawson easily gave the best performance out of the three leads during the 1950s set piece. Unfortunately, I thought the older counterparts of Patrick (Rupert Everett), Marion (Gina McKee), and Tom (Linus Roache) left much to be desired. Not because they gave terrible performances but because they didn’t have much to do.
One thing that confused me was the relationship between Patrick and Marion. They seemed so compatible because they shared many of the same interests, mainly the arts. Despite this, though, Patrick appears to hate Marion behind closed doors, and Marion starts to hate Patrick once she finds out about the affair. I believe it would have been more compelling to see Patrick struggle with humiliating Marion, which he seems to have no regard for when galivanting with Tom.
I also thought that Tom and Patrick should have had better chemistry together. I do not understand what it was about the other that drew them together. Tom and Marion also do not have chemistry, which makes sense because Tom is not attracted to her.
Ultimately, “My Policeman” is boring. I was not invested in Tom and Patrick’s relationship, which is essential to this film. And the melodrama got tired very fast. If you’d like to watch a romantic drama LGBT+ centered film, I’d suggest checking out “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.”
Now Playing in Select Theaters and on Prime Video Friday, November 4th
