My Review of My Policeman (2022)

 

Written by Ron Nyswaner

Directed by Michael Grandage

Patrick: "There he was. I recognized him even from behind. That fine head. The unmistakable line of his shoulder. My policeman was magnificently alive in front of me."

In terms of movies I've left too long to actually review, this was another. In the time it's been released, I've watched/reviewed several gay themed movies and shows since. I've heard mixed things about this one.

This would be one of those movies in two different eras for it's three main characters. In the present day, Patrick Hazelwood (Rupert Everett) suffered a stroke and was being taken care of by his friend, Marion Taylor (Gina McKee). The latter's husband, Tom Burgess (Linus Roache) wasn't pleased about this.

In the past, we saw the younger versions of Marion and Tom, as played by Emma Corrin and Harry Styles meet and fall in love with one another. Then there was the younger version of Patrick, played by David Dawson. It didn't take long for things to become complicated for everyone.

Marion was a school teacher, Tom was a policeman and Patrick was a museum curator. As the three learned from each other, there was an affair brewing between Tom and Patrick. If I'm being pedantic, Tom was with Patrick before he decided to marry Marion. Tom also wanted to keep seeing Patrick, which didn't end well for anyone.

Yes, Marion found out about the affair and reported Patrick to the police. Patrick went to jail and Marion's marriage to Tom was never the same again. The fact that Marion in the present day chose to look after Patrick stemmed from guilt. It also led to her having the most honest conversation she ever had with Tom.

As with these period movies for gay men, there's a lot of angst and consequences of discovery but this one managed to end on a positive note. Marion left Tom and Patrick and the latter two finally held hands. I'll admit that little moment actually got to me and it's informed my rating for this movie too.

- Ron Nyswaner who wrote the script would go on to create the Showtime miniseries, Fellow Travellers. I've reviewed all of that on this blog.

- The movie's based on a 2012 book of the same name and of a relationship between writer E.M. Forster and Bob Buckingham. The latter was a married policeman.

- Standout music: Dean Martin's Memories Are Made Of This.

- Chronology: Present day in Peacehaven but the flashbacks started in 1957 Brighton.

I got to admit that I really like My Policeman as a movie. While it certainly felt familiar, I do think the central performances from both group of actors in both time settings genuinely worked. That ending also gave it an extra point for me.

Rating: 7 out of 10