The Policeman is a terrible movie. Do not watch it because it isn’t worth your time.
The Policeman is the story of a homosexual couple who must hide their love from the oppressive homophobic climate of Britain’s 1950s. At first, Tom and Patrick have a private affair, keeping their love a secret. Tom grows ambitious and realizes that the only way to get ahead in life is to have a wife. He marries Marion, but this façade quickly crumbles when Marion finds out the truth about Tom’s relationship with Patrick. Tom breaks up with Patrick and lives the rest of his life pretending to be heterosexual. The movie is about characters reflecting on their youth.
I had a lot of trouble writing up the synopsis for this movie because I lost interest several times. I had to rewind a lot because I kept getting lost, not because the plot was complicated, but because I was zoning out. This movie is boring, and nothing in this world can save it.
The acting in this movie is uninspired, and the characters lack the chemistry needed to make this love story work. They might be doing their best, but the script isn’t doing them any favors. It is no secret that Harry Styles isn’t an actor in any sense of the word, but he is not at fault for the quality of the narrative. None of the actors are. Harry Styles is merely the tool used to trick people into watching a movie they otherwise wouldn’t bother with.
The pacing is possibly the worst part of this movie. The plot moves slowly, and I suspect it is because there isn’t enough story for a full movie. As a result, we get a lot of filler in the form of slow takes, shameless fan service, and pointless shots of characters looking longingly out windows. If you cut out the sex scenes and condense the meaningful plot, this is maybe thirty minutes of content.
The Policeman is a poor representation of the struggles of the LGBTQ community. A lot of the hardships are glossed over quickly. The scenes of hardship and oppression seem to have been added almost as an afterthought. They don’t add anything of value to the plot except to briefly say how hard it was back then. It never feels like the characters are under any real pressure to keep their secret except for the fabricated kind designed to force the plot forward. And because the acting is so bad, none of the emotional moments hold the power needed to work.
You can stream this movie on Amazon Prime with your membership, but I wouldn’t bother. I am tempted to cancel my subscription because of this experience.
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Movie Reviews: Jay and Silent Bob Reboot (2019)
This movie isn’t for everyone. If you have not seen any Kevin Smith movies or are not a fan of his work, you won’t have a good time. This movie is very Kevin Smith in that most of the jokes are inside jokes that reference all his other works. I have seen most of his work and I had trouble following some of the jokes. That said, I enjoyed the format of this movie.
The reboot seems to be an essay about the state of modern cinema interwoven in the conclusion of a long-running series. Kevin Smith uses a lot of dialogue to criticize Hollywood and his work. The movie also works as a conclusion to Jay’s narrative. If you have been following the series, you know that Jay starts as this goofy drug dealer, but slowly he has become a selfish and almost heroic character. I believe this movie was a great way to end his story.
I do have a few issues with the movie. The meta jokes get tired and repetitive. The third act is slow and stops suddenly. The minority characters serve as tokens and hold very little weight. The movie cannot stand on its own without being some kind of Kevin Smith fan. It isn’t a bad movie by any means. Some genuinely funny moments had me crying. The acting is fine. The movie was fun for me, but I like his style of film making and I got a lot of the references.
There is a lot I like about this movie, but the cost of admission for this movie is too high. Don’t let this be your first Kevin Smith movie, you will not understand it. If you don’t like his style of movie-making, I would skip this one. This movie is Kevin Smith the movie. If you are a fan of Kevin Smith’s work, then you probably already watched it. If not, it is included with your Prime Membership.
Prime Movie Reviews: Defendor (2009)
Defendor is another Average Joe Superhero movie. The movie has the delightful casting of Woody Harrelson; his charm is infectious in this movie. Harrelson plays Arthur, a man with mental disabilities who fights crime as Defendor.
What sets this movie apart is Arthur. Arthur has this strong sense of justice and duty that he has emulated from his comic books. There are moments when he shows some bits of his humanity, but his personality changes when he puts on the costume. Watching the contrast between Defendor and Arthur is well executed. Defendor isn’t a great fighter and often gets beat up, but that never stopped him. His real superpower is his determination to his cause. Don’t go into this movie expecting well-choreographed fights. The fights are filmed to fit the narrative. Defendor uses gadgets like marbles or wasps to create confusion and uses that confusion to get an advantage. They are fun to watch. And don’t get me started on his catch phrases. They are the icing to the whole movie!
The movie is a little slow at times. It bounces around from different aspects of his life as he tries to stop his nemesis Captain Industry.
The film spends a lot of time effectively building a back story for Defendor. The film also does a great job showing the impact that Defendor and Author make on the world. This film is successful at telling a compelling superhero story with what it has.
But, this film is not for everyone. The pacing can be a problem, especially towards the middle. But if you have an Amazon Prime membership and two hours to kill, there are worse ways to spend it.
