Shadows on the Wall | Plainclothes

Plainclothes

Review by Rich Cline | MUST SEE

dir-scr Carmen Emmi
prd Vanessa Pantley, Eric Podwall, Colby Cote, Arthur Landon
with Tom Blyth, Russell Tovey, Maria Dizzia, Amy Forsyth, Gabe Fazio, Christian Cooke, John Bedford Lloyd, Darius Fraser, Joseph Emmi Sr, Christine Albright, Lauren Stanton, Sam Asa Brownstein
release US Jan.25 sff,
UK Jun.25 sxl
25/US 1h35

SUNDANCE FILM FEST

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Inventively shot and edited to give the viewer an internalised perspective, this intense but also warmly observational film explores a pivotal moment in a young man's life. Mixing romance, family drama and a coming out story, writer-director Carmen Emmi uses extreme closeups, kaleidoscopic editing and various film and video formats to add a tactile kick to an already pungent narrative. So it's both involving and very sexy.

In 1997 Upstate New York, Lucas (Blyth) is an undercover cop cruising men in a shopping mall toilet before fellow officer Ron (Cooke) arrests them. But Lucas is attracted to men himself, and that recently ended his relationship with Emily (Forsyth). So he's struggling with the morality of this job. Things get even more complicated when he finds a genuine mutual attraction with Andrew (Tovey), and has to hide this from everyone. His bigoted father (Emmi) has just died, and his mother (Dizzia) might be more understanding. But her brother Paul (Fazio) is another story.

Intimacy is the key element here, and it's expressed through a range of encounters, often in a simple glance or hesitant word. The narrative unfolds with flickers of flashbacks, vividly depicting Lucas' stream of consciousness as events push him from fear and confusion to action. Even he is surprised by what he does, leading to astonishing confrontations with each of the people in his life. But Lucas is unable to simply pretend to be someone else any longer, so he has no choice but to follow his heart.

Complications abound in this story, adding depth and meaning to each of the characters. Blyth gives a wonderfully transparent performance that reveals Lucas' underlying yearning, which makes several key moments powerfully moving. The spark of chemistry between Lucas and Andrew is expressed in the briefest of glances and fragments of dialog, creating a riveting magnetism between Blyth and Tovey, as both skilfully underplay their nuanced roles. And the terrific Dizzia and Forsyth bring their own strong energy to their scenes.

Knowingly, the film is set at a time when homosexuality should not be an issue. But Lucas sees prejudice all around him, both subtle and blatant. And Andrew's very different story is also packed with meaning. These men long to find a place where they can simply be themselves, like most other people can. The central idea is that, like Lucas himself, society is in a process of shifting, and we're not quite there yet.

themes, language, violence, sexuality 6.Jun.25 sxl

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