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My Policeman  (DVD)

6/10

Stars: Harry Styles, Emma Corrin, David Dawson, Gina McKee, Linus Roache, Rupert Everett, Emily John

Director: Michael Grandage

Policeman Tom (Styles), teacher Marion (Corrin) and gallery curator Patrick (Dawson), all residents of late 1950s Brighton, are an inseparable trio. They go to concerts and museums, dine out and even holiday together.

Patrick is patently gay, something punishable by jail at the time, so, as seems inevitable, Tom marries Marion. At this juncture, the director reveals that Patrick and Tom were passionate lovers before Marion came on the scene, and still are.

Unsurprisingly, married sex is perfunctory, and the two men continue their affair behind Marion's back, culminating in a joint 'work' trip to Venice, whereupon the penny finally drops for the cuckolded Marion, and tragedy ensues.

Bookended by scenes with older actors portraying the circumstances of Patrick's ultimate decline, cared for by Marion, the film is glowingly shot and ineffably sad, though the dialogue is uneven and the gay butt-naked sex scenes do go on rather too long, even if one appreciates it's part of the director's attempts in portraying a life-defining and all-consuming love.

The real fly in the ointment, alas, once again, is Styles. He strikes his nude poses with a will, but can't conceal the fact that he remains a novice at the acting game.

David Quinlan

UK 2022. UK Distributor: Amazon Studios. Colour by Panalux.
108 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 15.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 2, Violence/Horror 1, Drugs 0, Swearing 0.

Review date: 25 Nov 2022