Locke

Locke – Dir. Steven Knight (2014)

Would you like to spend 85 minutes alone in a car with Tom Hardy?

There have been numerous films made featuring a single protagonist trapped in a single location with tension generally the result of incredibly high stakes. In Buried, Ryan Reynolds was buried alive by terrorists while Colin Farrell was at the mercy of a crazed sniper in Phone Booth. Tom Hardy's life may not be at stake in Locke, but it is certainly in jeopardy of being turned irreparably upside-down.

Hardy plays Ivan Locke, a construction supervisor, who, on a normal night, would be heading home from work. His wife Katrina (Ruth Wilson) has prepared a special dinner for him while his sons are eager to watch the big soccer game with him. The next day, Ivan is scheduled to head up a massive concrete pour in Birmingham to build the foundation for a new skyscraper. The concrete pour is described as the largest pour in Europe outside of military and nuclear power plants. However, none of that is going to happen because Ivan is on the expressway to London.

Months ago, Ivan had a one-night stand with a woman named Bethan (Olivia Colman) and she is now giving birth to their child. Bethan is alone at the hospital without any family or friends. While Ivan doesn’t have any strong feelings for her, he sees it as his responsibility to be there with her. Behind the wheel of a BMW, Ivan uses his Bluetooth device to juggle several phone calls to deal with his disappointed kids, an angry wife, and a furious boss. All the while, he is still trying to make sure the concrete pour will go off without a hitch, including giving detailed instructions to an overwhelmed assistant (Andrew Scott aka Moriarty on BBC's Sherlock).

Locke was written and directed by Steven Knight, who previously wrote Dirty Pretty Things and Eastern Promises. Knight made his directorial debut with Hummingbird (released in the US as Redemption), a somber drama starring Jason Statham. It's the rare movie where Statham doesn't solve all his problems by beating everyone's brains out. No surprise that Knight gets another remarkable performance from another actor known for his physicality. This is the same man who broke Batman's back, remember? And who could forget his flamboyantly ferocious turn as the titular convict in Bronson.

With his physical presence limited, Hardy relies solely on facial expressions and steely Welsh accent with the aristocratic air of Hannibal Lecter. Hardy remains calm throughout the ordeal in spite of dealing with a whirlwind of emotions. Hardy is also the only actor we ever see on film. The movie unfolds in real time with the actors calling Hardy's vehicle from a hotel conference room. The cinematography by Haris Zambarloukos (Thor) is reminiscent of Collateral with a yellow tinge and a cold color palette. Knight and Zambarloukos make exquisite use of reflections and passing headlights in the distance.

Knight's noticeable slip-up is the clumsy externalization of Locke's own relationship with his estranged father. From time to time, Locke will have conversations with an invisible figure riding in the backseat.

Locke is more than just a one man show. Knight finds a way to make a seemingly un-cinematic subject utterly cinematic through slick cinematography and a gripping performance by Tom Hardy.

Rating: *** (*****)