First things first, we have Harry Styles starring as the gay policeman in “My Policeman”. Styles is mostly known for his role as a singer and song writer, but recently, he’s an actor in feature films too. My Policeman will be Harry’s 4th feature film. Every actor should have played at least one gay role, eh? Styles has constantly been nagged by the media about his sexuality since 2013, in which he gives ambiguous answers, because well, that’s his personal life. Whatever that is, he’s undoubtedly an ally and a good liberal.
Now onwards to “My Policeman”. My Policeman is a gay period drama, which means its a gay film mostly set in the past, in which homophobia is extreme and homosexuality is literally policed. So, it’s quite ironic that one of the two gays in the film is a policeman, the same occupation that would unnecessarily arrest or beat to death queers. The other key component to a gay period drama is a cover heterosexual relationship, mostly done to blend into society and to have a family “the normal way”. In other words, chaos. Our copper, Tom, is secretly in love with a man (Patrick), but has an official, hallow, public facing relationship with a woman (Marion); heart break on two fronts!
My Policeman isn’t only in the past, but also gives of a glimpse of the present day world, as we the audience get to see the mess aftermath of Tom’s attempt to have his cake (to love Patrick) and eat it too (have a “normal” life with Marion). Marion is taking care of a stroke debilitated Patrick, and there’s a Tom that wants absolutely nothing to do with Patrick. Whatever Marion’s motives are for caring for Patrick, her curiosity of Tom’s relationship with Patrick leads her into reading Patrick’s diary, in which she tries to understand who Tom (referred as My Policeman in the diary, hence the movie title) truly loves, and why.
The saddest scene for Tom to see in the present world is that two men can be in public together without getting arrested or being beaten to death. If it were like that at all in the past, he could’ve avoided all the drama and been with the man he truly loved. But is it ever too late? Marion, having learned more about Tom and Patrick’s love, now decides to leave Tom. Bear in mind, she has known that Tom and Patrick were secret lovers since her marriage with Tom. She was also the one that outed them in the past (which cost both Tom and Patrick their jobs and reputation). Tom and Patrick are finally together, albeit in the most heartbreaking way possible. And that ends the gay period drama that is My Policeman.