Queer Men Grapple With Seeing Themselves in Plainclothes and Twinless

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Carmen Emmi’s film “Plainclothes” plays out like a disturbing nightmare: chaotic, rapid-fire, and nerve-wracking. The director’s first full-length production was unveiled on Sunday at the Sundance Film Festival, portraying Lucas (Tom Blyth), an undercover cop in Syracuse who deceitfully invites gay men to public restrooms under the guise of a date, only to arrest them for indecent exposure. Lucas carries himself with a tense self-assurance, striving to suppress his own growing sexual confusion, until he encounters Andrew (Russell Tovey), a target with an irresistible charm. With his quirky glasses and plaid shirts, there’s no mistaking Russell Tovey – yes, we see it too. The question is whether Lucas can continue his duties while pursuing a romantic relationship with someone he had previously targeted.

Set in the 1990s, the film “Plainclothes” explores themes that remain strikingly relevant today. As Emmi shares, an article from the L.A. Times in 2016 about an undercover police officer arresting men in a Long Beach park bathroom resonated deeply with her personal experiences. At that time, Emmi was nearing the end of coming out and coincidentally had a brother starting his career as a police officer. This intersection of events sparked a wave of free-writing and journaling for Emmi, eventually culminating in the script for “Plainclothes.” The movie serves as a journey of acceptance, self-discovery, and sharing one’s truth, but it also delves into the concept of overcoming the internalized camera that often distorts our perspectives.

In the film, Lucas’s narrative unfolds fragmented and sporadic, interspersed with raw footage from a Hi8 camera, which was once used by Emmi for his homemade videos when he was 10 years old. As explained by Emmi, this archaic footage, primarily captured during filming breaks, was strategically integrated into the final version to reflect Lucas’s internal musings: his perceptions and what he believes he sees.

The viewing experience is as nerve-wracking as Lucas’s life itself. Occasionally, scenes transition into a third-person perspective, reflecting Lucas’s self-doubt about being caught. His surroundings constantly seem to him like crime scenes, not only due to his line of work but also because of his personal biases and repressions.

Lucas isn’t a policeman out of a desire for justice or helping others; rather, he does it to gain the approval of his family. Unfortunately, Lucas persecutes men similar to himself through this profession, which can be seen as a form of self-harm. Regardless of whether he wore a uniform or not, Lucas would have chosen this path.

In the film “Twinless“, directed by James Sweeney and showing at this year’s Sundance, self-recognition and being recognized by others is a significant theme. Although the mood is distinct, the narrative revolves around two characters, Roman (played by Dylan O’Brien) and Dennis (portrayed by Sweeney himself). They encounter each other in a support group for individuals mourning the loss of their twins, including Rocky and Dean, their own twins. For Roman and Dennis, losing a twin is not just like losing a sibling or family member; it’s like losing a part of themselves. At Roman’s brother’s funeral, many tearful sympathizers comfort him, highlighting the striking resemblance between the twins, while Roman stands there, a living specter of a brother he thought was superior. Dennis grapples with a similar sense of solitude, not because Dean was superior but because he had long admired the idea of existing as a twin.

The story “Twinless” delves into an unusual camaraderie between two individuals who are polar opposites in every aspect; Roman being straight, brash, and unintelligent whereas Dennis is gay, clever, and timid. As their bond deepens, they start to embody the void left by their absent brothers. Roman’s sense of guilt over his brother’s demise stems partly from his prejudice against Rocky, his homosexuality. In contrast, Dennis has battled with self-acceptance, not so much because he is ashamed of being gay but because he feels inadequate – insufficient, unattractive, and dull on his own. He’s never felt whole; instead, he’s always felt like two separate entities. With Roman, Dennis finds companionship that makes him feel complete. Consequently, Dennis becomes convinced that the only way to maintain this closeness with Roman is by winning his approval through a chain of growing falsehoods.

In both “Plainclothes” and “Twinless”, the most egregious offenses aren’t primarily about sexuality, but rather about crossing the line from ordinary observation and intimacy into something darker. Lucas, in trying to investigate Andrew by running his license plates, doesn’t recognize this as an invasion of privacy because he’s too engrossed in his own tale of surveillance. In “Twinless”, Dennis resorts to stalking and spying in a misguided attempt to attain intimacy instead of honesty. He’s too embarrassed by his own actions to acknowledge his desires, just like Lucas. They both fear the judgment of their loved ones and use that fear as a tool. The problem isn’t who they are, but what they do. In their pursuits, both Lucas and Dennis transform the objects of their affection into literal objects: representations of their own shame and desire, which they can manipulate at the cost of their own humanity.

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2025-01-31 01:54