'Locke' (2013)
93/100
Taut, innovative, and masterfully executed character study with the intensity of a thriller and the intimacy of top-tier stage theatre
Tom Hardy, Bluetooth phone calls, a BMW, and the M6 at night. What more could you want? This and more is what Locke provides, in Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight's scintillating directorial sophomore effort, which works best if you know nothing at all about its plot before watching. The film follows the titular Ivan Locke (Hardy) on a drive during which significant ramifications for his family, career, and basic sanity are slowly but surely revealed. Taking place essentially entirely in Ivan Locke's car, the story plays out as a series of phone conversations with various figures in the man's life as one massive decision triggers a range of consequences for the people around him. It may sound gimmicky, or at the very least too hard to pull off effectively, but Locke succeeds on all fronts and is a strong contender for the best film of 2013.
Unfolding almost in real time, dialogue is clearly at the forefront of Knight's screenplay. He manages to imbue the script with the kind of intimate and highly realistic conversations which characterised another great of the (admittedly limited) 'real-time' subgenre - namely, Richard Linklater's masterful Before Sunset. Unlike the philosophical yet achingly naturalistic depiction of romance in Linklater's film, however, Locke focuses more on the nature of one man, including his relationships with his family and the resolute determination of his approach to work. Knight's achievement in screenwriting is doubly extraordinary given the lack of multiple screen presences. This is a testament to Hardy's magnetic anchoring performance, and the wonderfully nuanced though evidently limited voice acting from his co-stars, who manage to build their characters surprisingly effectively despite never once showing their faces. None of this would have been possible, of course, without the genius plot concept of the storyline, central to making what could be described as a 'Bluetooth thriller', and it is executed perfectly.
Hardy evidently steals the show, despite the stellar supporting voice cast which includes high-quality acting talent from across the British Isles including Olivia Colman, Andrew Scott, and Ruth Wilson. Hardy's performance as Locke is magnificent, carefully measured and expertly created. The character's tics and manner of speaking are quickly established in an effective manner, giving him the kind of believable realism that makes the film so engrossing - all delivered in a smooth Welsh accent. With the camera spending so much time spent on Hardy's face, tracking his every reaction to bad news, good news, and developments in his situation, it is truly amazing how well the character's vulnerabilities and feelings are expressed, through the commanding screen presence of Hardy. A supremely talented actor, he makes the most of his complete monopoly on screen time over all the other characters by truly making the role his own. Over the course of the journey we see how Locke has carefully arranged his life on various 'pillars' such as his family, the career he loves, and the code of morals by which he abides, in contrast with his subpar paternal background. Equally, we see how easy these pillars can come crumbling down by one choice - a sad irony for Locke, a man who has devoted his life to building things.
The intensity of the story, propelled along like Locke's car on the motorway, is achieved by the claustrophobic setting of the car, creating an oppressive atmosphere in which the viewer is essentially alone with Locke throughout his journey. It has to count as a marvellous cinematographic achievement to have made this film so effectively on such a low budget; director of photography and stalwart Kenneth Branagh collaborator Haris Zambarloukos must be commended for the astute and constantly engaging camera work. This is most where the film feels like a particularly watchable one-man play. The sublime close-quarters camera work and Hardy's increasingly unhinged soliloquies when not engaging in telephone conversation are theatrical in the best way. Simply, no other film quite manages to convey the feeling of being in the front row of a small venue bearing witness to every detail of a man's life. The tension created by simple conversations between Locke (a construction foreman) and his assistant about matters such as road closures, cider cans, and gradings of concrete is simply remarkable. Locke is a thriller, after all, though certainly an unconventional one, and it does indeed succeed in being thrilling. The camera's creatively conveyed confines, the tension-building score, and overriding sense of urgency are tied neatly together by Knight's assured direction to build a truly memorable cinematic experience.
Unique and unforgettable, Locke will draw you into its world of one man and never let go - kudos to Hardy's electric performance for tying together a terrific, technically brilliant thriller. 93/100