A promising undercover agent assigned to lure and arrest gay men defies professional orders when he falls in love with a target.

‘Plainclothes’, the debut feature from Carmen Emmi, centres on Lucas (Tom Blyth), an undercover police officer tasked with entrapping and arresting gay men in public toilets. While working an operation, he becomes drawn to one of the men, Andrew (Russell Tovey), he’s meant to catch, setting up a film that’s focused on the emotional strain created by Lucas’s double life, and the slow, uneasy relationship that forms between two people who cannot afford to be honest.

The film’s tension is its greatest strength, and it works precisely because both men are hiding something fundamental about who they are, meaning every moment spent together carries the risk of exposure and their entire lives blowing up. Carmen Emmi’s direction is confident and controlled, allowing scenes to unfold at their own pace while maintaining a constant undercurrent of threat. There’s a constant sense that one wrong move could unravel everything, which makes even quiet moments feel laden with tension.

Tom Blyth and Russell Tovey are both excellent, with Blyth capturing Lucas’s restraint, confusion and growing internal conflict, while Tovey brings warmth and vulnerability to a character who has learned to protect himself through caution. Their performances complement each other well, creating a dynamic that feels believable and true to the experiences of closeted gay men in 1990s New York. That clear understanding of the world it is portraying is what ultimately gives ‘Plainclothes’ its power, doing an excellent job of conveying what it must have been like for gay men living in a world where large parts of their lives had to remain hidden from family, friends and colleagues.

‘Plainclothes’ is an impressive debut feature from director Carmen Emmi, with a well-researched subject at its core and strong performance from its two leads.

Rating: 4/5

Directed By: Carmen Emmi

Starring: Tom Blyth, Russell Tovey, Maria Dizzia, Christian Cooke, Gabe Fazio, Amy Forsyth and John Bedford Lloyd

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt27550504/