Locke (2013)
Certified: 15
Duration: 85 minutes
Directed by: Steven Knight
Starring: Tom Hardy
KRS release
British screenwriter Steven Knight makes his directorial debut with this taut, minimalist and exquisite film that is a one-man showcase for Tom Hardy and its director. What makes it even more interesting is that it is not a thriller and yet keeps its audience on the edge of their seat.
In its 85 minutes of running time, Knight has crafted a thriller that ensnares its audience slowly and surely, until one is left with no other option but to embrace the film’s urgency and its sense of perception and reality.
The film revolves around one character Ivan Locke, played in such an excellent manner by Hardy. He has just got into his car and driving hell bent as if he is a man on a mission. He has just left behind a construction site of which he was in charge where there is going to be an immense concrete pour – one of the biggest ever. As he drives, he starts making phone calls to tie up the past and make a future out of what he has left.
On one end, he has Gareth (voice of Ben Daniels) who works with Locke and cannot believe that he has just walked away from the job. Then there is Donal (voiced by Andrew Scott) who is his sort of assistant and whom he places in charge of the pour and gives instructions to over the phone.
He also calls Katrina (voiced by Ruth Wilson), his wife and tells her that he has another woman and that she is about to give birth. He then calls Bethan (voiced by Olivia Colman), a co-worker with whom he had a one-night stand and is now giving birth and to whom he is rushing.
For the duration of the drive, we are placed in Locke’s car. The film is quite simple and straightforward and it has no over-the-top special effects except for Locke’s Bluetooth system. The more we share in his drive, the more we learn who this character is and the more we respect him. He has made many a bad decision, but he acknowledges them, knows they are his and he takes ownership of them.
One needs to examine each uttered word to see the beauty of the script
Hardy is the perfect conduit for Knight’s tight script. His performance is one filled with inimitable and intimate nuances that show off what a consummate actor he is. Tension is all over the place and it is nerve-wracking.
It’s a performance that is filled with layers and one really needs to examine each uttered word to see the beauty of the script and realise what kind of a person Locke is. The way he shows the struggles of his character – with his wife, his one-time lover, his children, his coming child, his job, his superiors and his co-workers – is simply impeccable.
Propelled forward by the clear and evocative cinematography of Haris Zambaloukos, Locke shows how much film-making can be a driven and detailed journey... and all without having a budget that runs into millions of dollars.