Movies like Plainclothes set themselves up for failure as soon as the premise is revealed.
How many times have we seen a movie about a gay love story that is made even more impossible due to the circumstances of the main characters?
We have all seen countless Oscar-bait movies where the production hopes to strike gold. You know those movies that are praised for being “courageous” and the actors hailed for having so much courage for doing it.
In Carmen Emmi‘s feature directorial debut, he tackles a forbidden affair between Lucas (Tom Blyth) and Andrew (Russell Tovey), two gay men in the late 1990s whose worlds collide.
The central conflict is that Lucas is a police officer, assigned to bait and arrest other gay men for cruising in malls.
Most people in his life don’t know that Lucas is gay, and definitely not his police buddies.
Things take a turn when Lucas and Andrew cross paths during an operation, but events don’t take the regular path of arrest and prosecution. Instead, Andrew gives Lucas his page number and soon enough, an affair develops.
‘Plainclothes’ Finds Ways to Elevate Itself
The movie is not exactly reinventing this premise, given that it has been done before, and quite excellently in movies like the Polish Netflix drama Operation Hyacinth.
It’s the movie where you know what you want from it and hope it delivers.
But that would be the first mistake. Plainclothes subverts every expectation, making it feel fresher and more engaging than one would have thought.
The script and direction attempt to create something unique by narrowing the focus to a single character and employing a distinctive filming approach.
Making Lucas the main subject makes the film feel quite intimate. The script can zero in on his life and paint a picture of a young man going through crises.
Photo: Ethan PalmerNot only has he lost his father, his family is messed up, his job is the same, and his relationship with his ex-girlfriend is too.
The last thing he needs is an affair with another closeted man, especially when those feelings are not reciprocated.
Plainclothes utilizes close-ups of Lucas to communicate better his feelings, which are usually punctuated by anxiety and panic attacks.
This makes it feel as though the viewer has a front-row seat to his life, and an intense connection is established. It is arguably the film’s best accomplishment.
Everything is anchored by Blyth’s performance, which really comes as no surprise. Anyone who has followed his career, from movies like Benediction and The Hunger Games to shows like Billy the Kid, was not surprised.
He shares the screen with other amazing actors, including our darling Tovey, who has also delivered some wonderful performances over the years.
The casting department does a great job.
Here’s Where It Gets Pretentious
Many people have worked to advance scientific progress and ensure that we receive highly accurate representations of our world on screens.
From the camera to the TV panels, no effort has been spared to deliver an exceptional viewing experience.
That’s why it’s always disappointing to see someone make a deliberate technical decision to roll back progress by filming an entire show in black and white, or, in Plainclothes‘ case, in 4:3 aspect ratio.
It is quite wasteful not to utilize the real estate technology that has enabled the director to tell the story, saddling the viewer with what appears to be an unnatural ratio.
And that’s not to say that everyone should be married to 16:9, but other ratios should be used sparingly.
The real issue with Emmi’s film arises when he attempts to recreate the era in which the movie is set by lowering the quality to appear as if an old-timey camera was used for filming.
Then, these old-timey scenes are cut into regular scenes so frequently that it detracts from the story’s allure.
Photo: Magnolia Pictures [Screenshot]Let’s call this what it is: pretense.
In an effort to stand out, Plainclothes is dealt a blow by an odd aspect ratio, inconsistent editing, and shaky filming.
These technical failures give the impression that it’s found footage rather than an actual scripted movie.
Understandably, Plainclothes is an indie production, so it will feel indie and somewhat rough around the edges, but shouldn’t effort be put into making it as polished as possible?
Plainclothes can also feel a little bit shy, especially during intimate scenes between Lucas and Andrew.
While Blyth and Tovey do give their all, the editing tries to tone done the nature of their sexual encounters by cutting unrelated scenes into the sex scenes.
One fails to quite understand what that is meant to accomplish, apart from turning viewers off.
No one is saying to recreate Shortbus, but viewers should feel a little hot and bothered. All good movies do this.
You can’t have Tom Blyth and Russell Tovey and fail to excite.
In Summation
If someone can overlook the technical shortcomings, Plainclothes is an intimate look into a not-so-long past that will keep you engaged and entertained.
The flip-the-script moment between Lucas and Andrew is especially a nice touch, as we expect the older, married guy to be the one to catch feelings and cause chaos.
A good script and great performances elevate what would otherwise be a forgettable movie.
Plainclothes is a good addition to the repository of queer coming-of-age stories