MY POLICEMAN

UK/US, 2022, 113 minutes, Colour.

Gina McKee, Linus Roache, Rupert Everett, Harry Styles, Emma Corrin, David Dawson.

Directed by Michael Grandage.

This film has two time spans, 1957-1958 and many sequences during the 1990s.

The policeman of the title is Tom, young and earnest in 1957 in Brighton, a very British atmosphere of the period. And he is played by Harry styles, well-known as a musical artist, in One Direction and as a solo artist, moving into film with a role in Dunkirk and then to some prominence in Don’t Worry, Darling.

While this is Harry styles film, he is something of an empty character in the sense that the other characters seem more in him than he sees in himself. As expected, in the 1950s, he is to marry and have a family. His very much attracted to Marion (Emma corrin, Diana in The Crown), very young, proper for the time, a teacher, happy to be in Tom’s company.

This is tantalising but, the film often moves into the 1990s where we see that Marion and Tom are together in the older age, and that Marion has brought their friend Patrick (Rupert Everett) into the house for his recovery from a stroke. Marion is very attentive. Tom does not want to have anything to do with Patrick.

For many audiences, Marion will be the central character for the film rather than Tom and Gena McKee is excellent in the role. Linus Roache is Tom. Marion sees Patrick’s diaries from the 1950s and begins to read them, more flashbacks and some painful reminders of the past as she reads.

So, after the introduction to Tom as the perfectly ordinary policeman, we now appreciate that he is a gay man but not particularly self-aware until he has some encounters with a Gallery manager, Patrick (David Dawson). Patrick invites Tom to pose for him, which leads to sexual encounters, Patrick infatuated with Tom and falling in love with him, Tom becoming more and more emotionally dependent without being able to acknowledge it. And then going forward with the plan to marry Marion. And, in the meantime, Marion and Patrick have become good friends with our tastes and interests in common.

The scenes from the 1990s keep us aware of Marion’s rediscovering the past, but have us puzzling about Tom’s hostile attitude, and Patrick, immobilised by the stroke, dependent on Marion but wanting to see Tom.

The film is highlighting the attitudes in Britain of the time towards gay men, their taking refuge in clubs, the police in pursuit of them, arresting them in the street, some brutal treatment, charges, trials, imprisonment – and some brutal treatment in prison, which is what Patrick endure is.

The ultimate resolution of the tensions between the three characters is not quite what we expected, and some revelations about Marion’s attitude towards Patrick in the past, and her caring for him in later decades.

This is a very British film, laid-back in its presentation of characters and themes, especially in comparison with mordant melodramatic explorations of gay life and relationships in films from other cultures.

1. The title, the focus on Tom, Patrick’s my, Marion’s my?
2. The settings, 1957, costumes and decor, the 1990s, costumes and decor, cars? The atmosphere of Brighton, the town, streets, homes, the pier, the beach, the coast? The musical score?
3. The intersection of the two time eras, the initial episodes in 1957-1958? The later episodes in the 1990s? Intercut, each revealing the other?
4. Patrick’s diaries, the episodes seen from his point of view, memories? Marion reading the diaries, her memories, her point of view? Tom at the centre, brooding at the end?
5. Themes of homosexuality, the 1950s, Britain, the police and the law, homophobic, brutal, prisons, assaults?, Trials? Sentences? As experienced by Patrick?
6. The focus on the older Marion, Gina McKee’s performance and presence, the years with Tom, living together, her carrying the burdens of the past, and happiness? Her bringing Patrick to the house, giving him the main room, Tom not wanting to see him, speak to him, resenting Marion’s decisions, their discussions, arguments? Patrick, his age, the stroke, the carers bringing him to the house, their care, Marion accepting the responsibility? His negative reactions towards her, food, the issue of cigarettes, her taking him to the beach?
7. The portrait of Marion, seeing the older Marion and empathising with her? Her sympathy for Patrick – and the later revelation that she was to blame for his arrest, the anonymous letter, her immediate change of heart, serving as a witness at the trial? Her bringing him to the house, wanting Tom to acknowledge him and the past? Her reading Patrick’s diaries and remembering?
8. Marion, young, teaching at school, her friend and advice? The attraction to Tom? Policeman? Going out with him, meeting Patrick, the visit to the gallery and her love of art, going to the concert? Her relationship with Patrick, the contrast with her love for Tom? The discussions with her friend? The initial impressions – and the later sequences with Marion reading the diaries and remembering the past?
9. Tom, young, his choice, policeman, ambitions, his work, police in the 1950s? Meeting Marion, the attraction? The outings? With Patrick, taking her to Patrick’s flat, seeing the portrait? Then the flashbacks to Tom, the first encounter with Patrick, the accident in the street, further encounter, inviting him home, the portrait, the posing? The further visits? Tom and his awareness of himself but ignorance, suspicions of homosexuality? With Patrick, the tip of his finger on his neck (and that gesture seen again with the final reconciliation)? The sexual attraction, the encounters? Tom wanting to marry and have children?
10. Patrick, art, the Gallery, closet homosexual, visits to the clubs, the pickups, the encounter in the street, the police pursuit, his escape? His being reported, arrested, the trial, prison, his being assaulted?
11. The wedding, Marion’s friend and her caution, the toast, the house, the first night and the formalities of sexual behaviour in the 1950s? Marion and the meal, Patrick cooking? Glimpsing Patrick and Tom? Bewilderment? The marriage, her teaching, Patrick guiding the children visiting the gallery? The issue of Venice, Patrick giving Tom the book, inviting him to be the assistant, the payments? Patrick talking to Marion, her going home, the book, tearing it to pieces, confronting Tom?
12. Tom, his reassurances, the quality of his love for Marion, her love for him? Sexual encounters? Marion holding onto him?
13. The revelation to Tom years later, that she had sent the letter, changed her mind, was witness testimony, yet the revelation about Tom, his losing his job, finding new job, their continuing their life together?
14. Tom in old age, the relationship with Marion, living together for so long, his moods, memories, taking the dog for walks, along the beach, refusal to look at talk to Patrick?
15. Patrick, the stroke, the wheelchair, his manner, reaction to Marion, wanting Tom?
16. Marion, deciding to pack, after seeing Tom weeping, the carers and their partnership, going to her sisters, the final talking with Tom, his pleading, leaving, the taxi, her freedom?
17. Tom, dismayed at Marion’s leaving, going in to see Patrick, touching him, the fingertip on the neck?
18. The attitudes towards homosexuality prior to legal changes, homophobia, suspicions, treatment of gay men? The changes, later decades?
19. The psychological exploration of the attitudes of the three central characters in themselves, towards each other, love, sexuality?