Critique of the film Plainclothes by Carmen Emmi with Russell Tovey and Tom Blyth. A sensory gay thriller that does not leave one indifferent.
A striking first feature film
The director Carmen Emmi hits hard for his first feature film PLAINCLOTHES (title that refers to plain clothes, when police officers do not wear their uniforms). And offers Russell Tovey his best role in a cinema film.
A gay policeman in the closet in the 1990s
The plot takes place in the late 1990s in the United States (in Syracuse) and follows the character of Lucas (Tom Blyth, excellent), a young cop who evolves in a male-dominated environment. Recruits are pushed to toughen up, build muscle, and toxic masculinity is clearly established as the norm. Certain cops are also pushed above all to conduct operations in shopping malls where it is about trapping homosexuals meeting in toilets to have fun discreetly. Police officers are thus tasked with seducing gays in the toilets and once their prey begins to initiate a beginning of an encounter, they arrest them. Lucas, because of his youth and charm, is chosen as bait. His colleagues do not know that for a good while, the young man has been repressing his homosexuality…
The encounter with Andrew
Until now, Lucas has always reluctantly accepted to engage in this sordid racket, things are about to change when he finds himself wanting to trap Andrew (Russell Tovey), a very charming daddy with glasses. Unlike the other men he had faced in the past, Andrew seems gentle, kind… and he pleases him a lot. Lucas will let him escape and Andrew, who is married, will discreetly leave him his number saying that he will only have to call him, leave a few rings, and he will contact him back afterwards. Lucas hesitates then ends up contacting him. This unexpected meeting will lead the young man in the closet, full of shame and frustration, to take stock of his life.
A unique gay thriller
Very skillfully mixing a film about homophobia, coming out, and a particularly tense thriller, Plainclothes is a real slap on all levels. Already by its form, singular, taking up a kind of VHS / old camcorder effect to materialize on screen the traumas and vertigo of its very tormented main character. As a spectator, one has the impression of going on a full trip, of diving into his psyche both by this very effective and turbulent aesthetic device and thanks to remarkable work on the sound. Let’s be clear: in this little corner of the United States in the late 1990s, it is clearly not good to be gay. Lucas just feels that it is impossible to come out both to his homophobic colleagues and to his family. Homosexuality is endured as a curse or is related to something criminal.
A buried desire and “daddy issues”
Everything changes when the handsome and more experienced Andrew enters the frame. Lucas will feel a deep desire but also release feelings he had denied until then. After a whole young life of frustration, it is time to allow himself a moment of freedom, truth, pleasure. It is no coincidence that Andrew is the object of his desire: the film very clearly suggests “daddy issues,” a relationship to a deceased father who is sorely missed. Lucas is looking for a helping hand, a comforting man, a sweet and kinky dad to make his sentimental and carnal education. But will Andrew be the right one, he who is married and usually only practices occasional cruising? We are in a thriller so don’t expect a syrupy romance…
A tense and cathartic film
The whole is full of tension and quite nervous: both because of the missions in the shopping mall that will become increasingly tense, because of Lucas’ inner distress but also because of the thrill of his dream affair with Andrew and the consequences it will bring (and this up to a particularly breathless, intense, brutal and ultimately cathartic last part).
Masterful actors
Tom Blyth and Russell Tovey steal the screen in this labyrinth of impulses, frustrations and fears. From unbeatable and dizzying intimate scenes to tumultuous crises, Plainclothes electrifies its audience and leaves a strong mark up to a last shot that gives chills.
Comments
I found the depiction of toxic masculinity in the 1990s police force really compelling, especially how the recruits are pressured to conform in such a harsh environment. It seems like Carmen Emmi did a great job capturing those complexities through Lucas's character.
I found the depiction of toxic masculinity within the 1990s police force really compelling, especially how recruits were pressured to conform so strictly. It seems like the film doesn’t shy away from showing the harsh realities for someone like Lucas caught between his identity and his job.
I found the portrayal of toxic masculinity within the police force during the 90s quite compelling, especially how recruits were pressured to act a certain way. The way Lucas is used as bait adds a dark layer to the story that seems both unsettling and thought-provoking.
The detail about Lucas being used as bait in those sting operations is pretty disturbing, especially given the setting in the late '90s. It sounds like the film really leans into showing how toxic masculinity and homophobia shaped police culture at the time.
The setting in late 90s Syracuse and the focus on toxic masculinity in the police force really caught my attention. The detail about Lucas being used as 'bait' because of his youth and charm sounds both disturbing and intriguing. I'm curious how Russell Tovey's role plays out amid all this tension.
I found the depiction of toxic masculinity within the police force in the 90s really compelling. The way Lucas is used as bait in those undercover operations felt disturbingly real, and it seems like the film doesn’t shy away from showing those uncomfortable truths. Russell Tovey getting such a strong role makes me even more interested in watching it.
I found the depiction of toxic masculinity within the police force really thought-provoking, especially how recruits are pressured to fit a certain mold. The idea of using undercover operations in shopping malls to target gay men felt unsettling but important to highlight.
The detail about Lucas being used as bait because of his youth and charm really caught my attention. Setting the story in the 1990s police world seems to add a layer of tension, especially with all the toxic masculinity described. I’m intrigued by how Russell Tovey’s role unfolds amid all that pressure.
I found the portrayal of toxic masculinity within the police force in the 90s really compelling, especially how recruits were pressured to act a certain way. The idea of using officers to entrap gay men in such a secretive environment adds a tense layer to the story that seems hard to ignore.
The idea of Lucas being used as bait because of his youth and charm is such a tense setup, especially given the backdrop of toxic masculinity in the 1990s police force. I’m curious how the film balances that pressure with his personal struggles, particularly since it’s described as a sensory thriller.
The detail about Lucas being used as bait in those shopping mall stings really grabbed my attention. It seems like the film isn’t afraid to dig into the grim reality of police entrapment and toxic masculinity, especially in that era. I’m curious how Russell Tovey navigates such a layered role.
The way the film explores toxic masculinity within the police force in the 90s feels really raw and thought-provoking. I think Russell Tovey giving one of his best performances adds a genuine depth to the whole story. The premise of using recruits as bait in those scenarios is unsettling but important to highlight.
I found the idea of using plainclothes officers to entrap gay men in the 90s both disturbing and eye-opening. It seems like the film really dives into the harsh realities of toxic masculinity and secrecy, which isn’t something you see explored often in thrillers.
The detail about Lucas being chosen as bait because of his youth and charm really caught my attention. It sounds like the film doesn't shy away from showing how toxic masculinity and pressure within the police force can impact someone's identity, especially in the '90s setting.
The way the film tackles toxic masculinity in the late 90s police force sounds pretty intense. I found the detail about Lucas being chosen as bait because of his youth and charm especially unsettling—it seems like the movie doesn't shy away from the darker side of those real-life operations.
I found the setting in the late 90s really effective in showing the harsh realities faced by LGBTQ people, especially with the concept of police using undercover tactics to trap gay men. It seems like the film really doesn’t hold back on exposing toxic masculinity within law enforcement.
The way the film uses Lucas as bait in those mall operations really highlights the tension and danger for gay men at that time. It's unsettling to read how toxic masculinity is so ingrained in his environment, and I think Russell Tovey's casting sounds like a smart choice for adding nuance.
The way the film explores toxic masculinity within the police force in the 1990s sounds pretty intense. I think using Lucas as bait in those mall operations adds a layer of vulnerability that's rarely addressed in thrillers. Russell Tovey getting his best cinema role is intriguing too.
The idea of Lucas being chosen as bait because of his youth and charm really sets an uncomfortable tone, especially given the setting in the 1990s. I think the way toxic masculinity is portrayed as the norm makes the whole story feel more tense and realistic.
The setting in 1990s Syracuse and the focus on toxic masculinity within the police force seem like they add a lot of tension to the story. The detail about Lucas being used as bait because of his youth and charm makes his situation feel even more precarious and complex.
The detail about Lucas being used as bait in mall sting operations really hit me. It’s disturbing how the film shows toxic masculinity in the force and the pressure to conform. I think the 1990s setting adds another layer to the tension, especially for a closeted gay policeman.
The detail about Lucas being used as bait in these mall stings really paints a disturbing picture of police culture back then. I think the film’s setting in the late '90s adds another layer, especially with how toxic masculinity seems to drive so much of the plot.
I really appreciated how the film tackled toxic masculinity within the police force in the 90s. The detail about recruits being pressured to conform to such tough, hyper-masculine ideals felt very authentic and added a lot of tension to Lucas’s story.
The idea of Lucas being used as bait in mall operations really caught my attention. Setting the story in the late 90s, with all the toxic masculinity in the police force, seems like it adds a lot of tension and complexity to his character.
I found the depiction of toxic masculinity within the police force in the 90s quite gripping, especially how recruits are pressured to toughen up. It seems like the film really dives deep into the complexities of Lucas's undercover role and the personal conflicts that come with it.