I Love a Man in Uniform

Henry Adler (Tom McCamus) sees a cop get shot on the streets of Toronto and uses it in his acting audition. His boss wants him to quit his acting hobby and concentrate on his bank job. He lives alone. He gets a job playing hard cop Flannigan on the harsh TV show Crime Wave. Charlette Warner (Brigitte Bako) plays the hooker with a heart of gold. Henry starts walking the streets wearing the realistic costume. The bank gets robbed by a Marilyn Monroe type and Detective Itch investigates Henry. His father is hospitalized by a stroke. He starts dating Charlette who then pushes him away. After his TV job ends, he continues to walk the streets as a cop and gets involved with corrupt cop Frank.

This is a smaller budget Canadian movie. The production looks like it. It starts slowly. Tom McCamus is a skinny lanky type. He's more of a character actor. He does build up to a good creepiness. He's a wimp play acting who is pushed too far in the climatic scene. There are secondary stories that get big introductions and then abandoned. This is shooting for Taxi Driver but doesn't achieves anything quite so exceptional. It's still an admirable attempt.

This is an excellent 'sleeper' from Canadian director Wellington. Who hasn't fooled around with the idea of dressing up as a cop, a priest, or a prostitute? Ever since childhood we LOVE to dress up as what we are not. And if we get a part in a movie (albeit a T.V. Movie) and well, they DRESS US UP for the show... well, it's hard to say no! But in this movie our protagonist lets the seduction of the Strong Arm of the Law grab him a bit TOO hard. It starts filling in for his weaknesses and most demonic desires. And soon he's not 'acting' any longer. David Wellington pulls the lid off a surprisingly familiar yet un-explored Pandora's box, and we're hooked from the word 'go!'. No Deniros, and he's not Scorsese... but the tight budget and Canadian surroundings do little to weaken this memorable little sleeper.

Different levels of interpretation, and an unforgettable opening sequence (and ending too). Glad I saw it. Why don't you?

If this little known film doesn't open your eye's to the potential of independent films, nothing will. This actors portrayal of his characters slowly crumbling psyche is so real it's frightening and sympathetic at the same time. The scenes where he is alone, replaying in his mind the confrontations of the day and trying to figure out what he should have said and done are so effective because to some degree, we all do it. As the film advances, he straddles the line between the real world and his fantasy until he slowly slips into the fantasy completely. A powerful, raw portrayal.

Amazing that this was written and directed by the guy who gave us the godawful "Zombie Nightmare." It only goes to show that you CAN improve (although anything would be an improvement from that film).

"A Man in Uniform" (the U.S. title, at least) is an incredibly well made film focusing on bank employee Henry Adler who is also trying to make it as an actor. The opening shot of a police officer getting blown away is amazing. It also serves to show how Adler (well-played by McCamus), gets the inspiration necessary for his audition as a cop on a "Hill Street Blues" type of police drama. Adler's personality is so vacant that when he asks to borrow the police officer's outfit so that he can "stay in character" he slowly becomes the cop he's portraying.

A chilling urban psychodrama that deserves to be on the list with such films as "Taxi Driver", "Falling Down" and "Death Wish". 9/10.

This is a very different movie that isn't easy to find on either VHS or DVD. I know it as "Man In Uniform" and, unfortunately, got rid of my tape after seeing this a few times. Now I regret it because I'd like to see it again.

"Disturbing" is a word most often used to describe this story. A mentally- disturbed small-time actor gets a role in a show in which he plays a cop. He begins to think that is really is a policeman and begins to impersonate one out in the streets.

This is a Grade-B type production with actors that may not be familiar outside of Canada, but it gets by. Tom McCamus plays the main role as "Henry Adler." Brigitt Bako is interesting in here, too.

If you can find this movie and enjoy stories about wacked-out people, grab it.