For My Policeman to work, Harry Styles had to do something remarkable: make the audience forget it was him on the screen.
Tom Burgess, a mellow and endearing policeman, is the antithesis of Styles’ stage persona. He is an “ordinary” person. He is emotionally withdrawn. He subscribes to the family values of the 1950s, eventually marrying Marion because he is “fond of her, and someday [he hopes] to have children”. However, it soon becomes clear that those same family values will suffocate Tom, Marion and Patrick as they navigate a forbidden love triangle.
The adaptation of Bethan Roberts’ 2012 novel follows Marion and Patrick as they both fall for Tom. Patrick opens Tom’s eyes to a world he never knew existed, and the two become inseparable. Marion is desperate to save her marriage, despite its lack of warmth.
The film opens on a Brighton home with a view of the sea. The aesthetic is moody yet picturesque, with ample shots of a cloudy beach where Tom walks. It is the 1990s and the characters have aged. Linus Roache, Rupert Everett and Gina McKee play the older versions of Tom, Patrick and Marion.
Patrick has had a stroke which left him unable to care for himself, and Marion has taken him in despite Tom’s reluctance. The problems the three faced in the ‘50s clearly have not been addressed, only buried.
Director Michael Grandage smoothly shifts between Patrick and Marion’s perspectives. Patrick kept a diary of the years he spent with Tom, which the older Marion is seen reading. She gains insight into the pair’s trip to Venice, the day they met, and the love they had for each other. Grandage transitions through both memories and time elegantly. The film is cohesive and easy to follow.
Emma Corrin masterfully captures the role of Marion, authentically portraying her growing fear and suspicion of Patrick and Tom’s relationship. She allows the bigotry of the time to cloud her judgment and makes a life-altering decision that affects all three characters.
Styles’ acting feels most natural when paired with David Dawson’s Patrick, which is likely intentional. When Tom is with Marion, he is forced to hide so much of himself. Secrets have made him distant and almost artificial, like someone who is desperately trying to play the role of a caring husband. Some critics have called Styles’ performance flat, but in the context of Marion and Tom’s relationship, his withdrawn temperament makes sense.
Like almost all movie adaptations, there were moving aspects of the book that got left out. Marion’s work life is largely missing, and Tom and Patrick’s trip to Venice felt slightly rushed. There is only so much a screenwriter can do with an hour and fifty-three minutes, but these missing elements could detract from the characters’ complexities.
Despite its minor flaws, My Policeman is visually stunning. Brighton’s atmosphere acts as a perfect backdrop. The chemistry between Styles and Dawson is undeniable, and it is clear the entire cast put their hearts into the performance. The film reaffirms Corrin and Dawson’s talent, and Styles shows promise at the start of his acting career.