My Policeman  ★★★

I’M starting to think Harry Styles isn’t getting a fair go from many quarters.

He isn’t the only musician/singer to also try his hand at acting – and he’s certainly not the worst.

But almost every review of films in which Styles appears seems to make a point of unfairly criticising his performance in comparison to other more experienced actors in the cast.

Two recent cases are Don’t Worry Darling and My Policeman, in both of which I actually think he does a decent job.

This is particularly true in the case of My Policeman, a romance/drama in which he plays a man struggling with his sexuality.

during a period 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.

Based on a 2012 novel by Bethan Robert’s, the story of three characters’ intersecting lives is presented in  two time periods – present day and the late 1950s.

Retirees Marion and Tom live in the English seaside town of Peacehaven. A decision is made to care for their friend Patrick after he has suffered a stroke.

This greatly angers Tom who refuses to even acknowledge Patrick’s existence, despite them all living under the same roof.

Marion’s reading of Patrick’s journals is the device by which we go back to Brighton in 1957 and learn how the trio met and the events and life-changing decisions that are still impacting decades later.

While the story treatment is a little uneven and sometimes too heavy-handed, it succeeds due to the top performances all round.

Of particular note are David Dawson as the young Patrick and Linus Roache as the older Tom, the character played in the extended flashbacks by Styles.

Everything leads up to a final emotional scene that also provides the film’s highlight.

Watched on Prime