Locke

Starring: Tom Hardy, Olivia Colman (voice), Ruth Wilson (voice), Andrew Scott (voice), Ben Daniels (voice)
Directed by: Steven Knight
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
2014

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A man (Tom Hardy) receives a phone call that thrusts his biggest mistake back into his life. While driving, he makes an impossible decision that will change his life forever.

Review:

Tim: I'd heard good things about Locke, so I was looking forward to seeing this film. I was a bit surprised, as it wasn't what I expected. In some ways, the film is experimental (or gimmicky, depending on your point of view) so it's an unconventional movie. That's not a bad thing- I like when movies take chances and do something different. The biggest takeaway from this film, though, is that Tom Hardy is a really, really good actor.

The most unconventional aspect of this film is that the entire film takes place in a car (or at least 98% of it). That's not the norm and it was fun to see Hardy and director Steven Knight try to tell a compelling, exciting story with such severe limitations on themselves. It's actually quite shocking that they manage to pull it off. Locke isn't always exciting- it does have a few spots where it drags or could be called boring- but for the most part, a movie about a guy driving and talking on the phone is interesting and engaging. That's the most amazing part of this movie and why it would do you good to see it. I applaud Knight and Hardy for trying something new and difficult and mostly succeeding.

It would have been so incredibly easy for this film to be an abject failure. What saves it primarily is the performance of Tom Hardy. Hardy gets credit in his career, but not nearly as much as he deserves. He's one of the most exciting, talented actors working today. His performance captivates the audience, holds our attention for 85 minutes, even when the only thing we get to see is his face and the surrounding car. I've been trying to figure out exactly how Hardy pulled this off. A great deal of it is just the sheer quality of his performance. He's entirely believable as an experienced construction executive, overwhelmed with the biggest job of his career while his family life seems to be spiraling out of control. In a bit of good fortune (Hardy may disagree), he was sick with a cold during filming. Knight decided to incorporate that into the story. That's a small element, but an important one- his character isn't just dealing with perhaps the most stressful night of his life while trapped behind the wheel of his car, he's also sick. I thought it was a brilliant touch that added a little to the performance and the film. Hardy does a masterful job of delivering a wide range of emotions- you can see him working so hard to hold it all together, while small cracks start to form in his person. The scenes where he's talking to his deceased father are a bit hokey, but Hardy hits the right notes during those scenes. If you're interested in reasons to see this movie, by far the biggest is an exceptional performance by Tom Hardy. I'm so excited to see what else he does in his career.

The story is an interesting one because of how it unfolds based on the limitations of it being just a guy in the car. He puts some serious phone time in throughout the course of the movie and it's these conversations that illuminate the situation he's in. Now, that doesn't always translate to the most exciting moments (there are a few dull moments peppered throughout the film), but they were interesting to watch.

I'm glad I tracked down Locke, primarily for the performance of Hardy and the different take on the film. Those were the biggest positives and the main reasons to see this movie. The story is interesting, although the earth-shattering night the film portrays isn't quite as emotionally powerful as it believes it to be. I wasn't blown away by the story or the characters. They were fine. I think a lot of these kind of experimental films suffer a little because of the self-imposed limitations. A perfect example is Buried- a film entirely about a guy trapped in a coffin. It's incredibly cool to see something so different, but it's hard to translate that into a truly incredible film. I love that Locke gave us a unique and unconventional movie that only features a guy in a car. Knight and Hardy certainly gave us something we don't see all the time. However, as much as I like the uniqueness, this is a long way from a truly great viewing experience.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Buried