Michael Grandage’s new film has gay st members and crew, but the leracy of queer them mastream cema feels pafully unevolved
Contents:
MY POLICEMAN REVIEW – HARRY STYL IS ARRTGLY AWKWARD STODGY GAY ROMANCE
* my policeman gay film *
The teen heartthrob turned leg pop star kicked thgs off not spicly, wh a small turn a large movie, Christopher Nolan’s send world war epic Dunkirk, and he proceed to book back-to-back biggi, Olivia Wil’s suburban sci-fi thriller Don’t Worry Darlg and prtige gay romance My Policeman, both films head for glzy premier on the fall ftival as the tra was ready to leave the statn, the wheels were already close to fallg off, a swirl of negativy surroundg both films and both performanc. Jt weeks after his misfirg ments surroundg gay sex were beg rightfully criqued, appears that his performance will also be, a turn jt as tepid as his soundb. But Tom and Patrick are closer than seems and, at a time when beg gay was still illegal, their affair threatens to stroy everythg.
The queerns do ltle to differentiate the triangle om so many others we’ve already seen and what’s tratg for those wh even a cursory knowledge of gay cema is that so many films before have refully navigated siarly tricky terrory wh ease and sight, om Basil Dearn’s Victim and William Wyler’s adaptatn of The Children’s Hour both 1961, Jam Ivory’s Mrice 1987 and, more recently, Terence Davi’s vastatg Benedictn. The stgg tragedy of beg gay at the wrong time history is somethg that will always prove ripe for emotive, paful drama but director Michael Grandage stggl to pull our heartstrgs, an easy target easily directn sists that we fd meang or emotnal ronance the small tails of the everyday but Philalphia screenwrer Ron Nyswaner’s perfunctory script rarely giv enough reason to.