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My Policeman (film)

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Wikipedia article




'My Policeman' is a 2022 American romantic drama film based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Bethan Roberts and directed by Michael Grandage. The film stars Harry Styles, Emma Corrin, Gina McKee, Linus Roache, David Dawson, and Rupert Everett.

'My Policeman' had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 11 September 2022, and is scheduled to be released in the United States on 21 October 2022, by Amazon Studios, before its streaming release on 4 November 2022, by Prime Video. The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Dawson's performance and critcised the direction, screenplay, and Styles's performance.

Premise



Set in 1950s Brighton, a gay policeman, Tom Burgess, marries schoolteacher Marion Taylor while being in a relationship with Patrick Hazlewood, a museum curator. The secret they share threatens to ruin them all.

Cast



* Harry Styles as PC Tom Burgess

** Linus Roache as old Tom Burgess

* Emma Corrin as Marion Taylor

** Gina McKee as old Marion Taylor

* David Dawson as Patrick Hazlewood

** Rupert Everett as old Patrick Hazlewood

* Kadiff Kirwan as Nigel

Production



It was announced in September 2020 that Amazon Studios would produce the film. Michael Grandage was set to direct a screenplay written by Ron Nyswaner, with Harry Styles and Lily James entering negotiations to star. James would exit negotiations by February 2021, with Emma Corrin replacing her. In March 2021, David Dawson, Linus Roache and Rupert Everett joined the cast of the film. In June 2021, Kadiff Kirwan joined the cast of the film.

Principal photography began in April 2021. Filming took place across London and Brighton and Hove. In Hove, filming took place at The Regency Town House in Brunswick Square for a wedding scene.

Release



'My Policeman' had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on 11 September 2022.Brent Lang, [https://variety.com/2022/film/markets-festivals/harry-styles-gay-drama-my-policeman-world-premiere-toronto-film-festival-1235321892/ "Harry Styles Drama My Policeman to World Premiere at Toronto Film Festival"]. 'Variety', 21 July 2022. It screens at the Adelaide Film Festival from 19 October, is scheduled to have a limited theatrical release in the United States on 21 October 2022, and will stream on Prime Video from 4 November 2022.

Critical reception



The film received mixed reviews from critics. A majority of critics praised Dawson's performance while the reviews were more mixed on the performances of Styles and Corrin, with a majority criticising the film's direction and screenplay. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 36% based on 22 reviews. Metacritic gave the film a weighted average score of 48 out of 100 based on 13 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews."

In a review for 'The Hollywood Reporter', David Rooney wrote that the adaptation "does little to show that celebrated theater director Michael Grandage can translate his stage skills to the screen", that Grandage "gives the material so little edge" and that Nyswaner "never digs deep into his characters' psychology." He wrote that "Corrin is fine" and "as for Styles, he's not terrible, but he leaves a hole in the movie where a more multidimensional character with an inner life is needed most," while complimenting Dawson's performance, writing that the actor "plays the breezy sophisticate more convincingly than the lovelorn man inside." Gregory Ellwood of 'The Playlist' gave the film a positive review, writing that Grandage's direction was "sublime" while complimenting the performances of Dawson and Styles, the latter of whom he says is "night and day here compared to his work in that other fall release." He continued by adding that Corrin "steals the show" while complimenting the historical accuracy. Robert Daniels of RogerEbert.com opined that the film "is surface-level queer representation lacking in visual imagination and begging for better performances", while giving negative opinions regarding the performances of Styles and Corrin. Ryan Lattanzio of IndieWire wrote that the film is "often very good, but the best scenes involve Dawson's rapier-witted and dandyish Patrick or Corrin's Marion" but felt that Styles' performance was "a blank beyond inscrutable gazes and sappy breakdowns," and that the role "requires levels of complexity and conveying inner turmoil that Styles can't provide." He continued to praise Dawson, writing "the movie is anchored, elevated, and very often knocked completely out of the park by Dawson, who is at turns sexy, mysterious, wise, naive, overflowingly open, vulnerable, and strong." In a review for 'Vanity Fair', Richard Lawson proclaimed the film is "studied and plodding in its period-piece solemnity, a dirge of a movie about reckless people that is never warmed by their implied inner fire." He complimented the performances of Dawson and Corrin but was less positive about Styles' performance, writing that "Styles's thoughtful, shaggy-sweet quality works well for that, but when he has to hold a scene's emotional tenor for longer than a line reading, he's flat." Writing for 'The Guardian', Benjamin Lee stated that the film "isn't exactly a washout but it's not exactly much of anything, a disappointingly drab and stridently straightforward love triangle saga ... underpowered by a blank lead performance" and that "Grandage struggles to pull our heartstrings, an easy target easily missed," where Styles is "all construct and no conviction, a performer as unsure of his ability as we are", while also adding that "Corrin and Dawson are easily more effective than Styles but still a little too mannered to pierce through." Writing for 'Variety', Peter Debruge wrote that Nysaner "shapes this mystery somewhat strangely" while opining that "a more meaningful version of this story would have involved less time reading alone and more talking together." He added that Corrin "could do this role in their sleep, while Styles has "the tricky task of making Tom's betrayal feel tragic for all involved," while also commenting on Styles "fully embracing the ambiguity of his queerbaiting brand."

Regarding Styles, David Jenkins of Little White Lies writes that "There's an understatement and simple clarity to his line delivery and body language that works well in the context of a man driven by primal desires." Tom Charity of 'The Times' criticised the film's plot but wrote that Styles "outshines this plodding love triangle".

Leah Greenbalt of 'Entertainment Weekly' opined that the film "is fevered, lovely to look at, and at times deeply silly" while writing that Dawson is "quietly affecting" whereas "Styles' style is more remote. His Tom often feels like a cipher, thoughtful and charming one moment and heedlessly cruel and manipulative the next." She added that the film "mostly feels like a movie we've seen many times before: a pleasantly escapist two hours with pretty people in pretty clothes, madly sublimating their feelings until the final, luminous frame." Luke Hearfield of the 'Evening Standard' wrote that "Dawson's nuanced performance is the highlight of this film" and that "Styles tries but neither he nor his co-stars are helped by this plodding script," ending his review by writing "the real crime of this film is how painfully average it is." Nick Schwager of 'The Daily Beast' wrote that "Styles and Dawson share no sparks" while criticising the direction of Grandage and Nysanner. Amber Dowling of 'Consequence' wrote that "Emma Corrin and David Dawson breathe life into an otherwise lengthy sentence of a film" and that "Styles continues to make a name for himself in the acting space," but felt that there was a "lack of depth" throughout the film, specifically in regards to the character of Tom.

Awards



The main cast members were announced as the collective winners of an acting award at TIFF's Tribute Awards, the first time that an award in that category was ever presented to an ensemble cast rather than an individual.Jeremy Kay, [https://www.screendaily.com/news/cast-of-my-policeman-first-ensemble-to-receive-tiff-tribute-award-for-performance/5173261.article "Cast of My Policeman first ensemble to receive TIFF Tribute Award for Performance"]. 'Screen Daily', 8 August 2022.

References




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