Plainclothes

The dangers faced by undercover law enforcement in forming attachments, romantic or otherwise, with the objects of their surreptitious enquiries are well documented in both real life cases and on celluloid. The homoerotic subtext of films such as Internal Affairs (Mike Figgis, 1990), Point Break (Kathryn Bigelow, 1991), Donnie Brasco (Mike Newell, 1997) is instead the engine that powers Carmen Emmi’s heartfelt film. New York police officer Lucas (Tom Blyth), struggling with his sexual identity while surrounded by the casual homophobia of family and colleagues, is assigned to an entrapment team targeting men cruising for sex in public toilets. When Lucas meets Andrew (Russell Tovey) an older man, also closeted, their rendezvous complicates their lives and emotions in deeply impactful ways, forcing each to confront the possibility of lives of satisfaction, contentment, love, and joy that are suddenly within reach.