Locke (2013)

This movie is formed by the excellent Tom Hardy performance. It's that good. I would put it up there with Gregory Peck in To Kill a Mocking Bird, and Anthony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs. Okay, now I think you understand how good I think Hardy does. The movie seems boring from a simple summary. "It's about a guy taking phone calls in his car for almost 90 minutes". That sounds boring, but it's not. It's actually the most suspenseful movie of the year. (2014, it came out in the US in 2014). Sounds impossible, but writer/director Steven Knight does amazing with a tiny budget. You also get to know, not only Hardy's character, but the people he's talking to on the phone as well. They truly seem like real people. The situation they create is also very creative and interesting. I won't say what it is, but I don't think it's a spoiler. I'll just say it makes you wonder what you'd do in the given situation. It's the best British film I've seen since Trainspotting, and definitely deserves one, if not more, viewings.

Fmovies: I went to see the movie because the review of the movie said that it would change what you thought about film making. This would be true if you've never seen a movie before, but that is not the case.

Not to say that the movie is not good. It acts as a sort of one man play starring Tom Hardy as Ivan Locke, a man who made a mistake in his past that threatens to unwrap his perfect life when he tries to do the right thing. The movie totally relies on the actor playing the role and Tom steps up to the challenge nicely.

But I've seen this kind of one man play with Buried starring Ryan Reynolds and Brake starring Stephen Dorff. I can even mention other movies like 127hours or Phone booth that have a similar concept.

What makes Locke different is that the pressure of life and death is not there. In those movies the leading (and only) men were threaten with the proposal of death, While in this movie, Ivan Locke's way of Life is threaten with change, and it's this change in the concept that made the movie Quiet and low key, but the filmmakers were still able to make if fast pasted and kinetic (having it take place in a Car going down the highway helps).

The movie had the same pressure of a ticking clock about to explode and the lead character attempting to talk himself out of the situation, but the filmmaker does not force the tension or thrills on you. Ivan Locke's situation is very down to earth and every day to day. Watching him attempt to deal with this situation could have come off boring after a half hour if not for Tom Hardy showing his mental acting chops (versus how physically intimidating he seemed as Bane in Dark Knight Rises, he's a small man in real life).

Though the movie was good to watch I could have gotten the same effect streaming it at home on Netflix. Recommend you do the same.

Both in terms of technique and storytelling approach Locke proves to be a fascinating piece of filmmaking, as the audience accompanies a successful construction manager on a thrilling car journey, where he faces a massive, life-changing predicament, one that effects both his professional and private life. Tom Hardy is simply magnificent in the title role, portraying a highly complex character for whom one develops very mixed emotions, as he is respected and despised both at the same time. The film demonstrates great ingenuity and creativity with its concept, proving gripping and incredibly suspenseful throughout, the credit for the which can be equally shared by Hardy's marvelous acting skills and a captivating story that is flawlessly executed. The fact that a fairly simple film with a single actor, a single confined location and a long string of problems can produce such a spellbinding experience is nothing short of extraordinary, which certainly makes Locke worthy of the highest praise.

Locke fmovies. Here I am, giving lectures to fathers about maintaining the different relationships in their lives. But alas!, how does one demonstrate the ideal, even if you might know such a person?

In comes this film Locke, demonstrating integrity, responsibility, caring, loyalty, firmness, perseverance, plus some more good things about being a man among men. Forget about Hercules, Braveheart and so many attractive and well muscled heroes. Here is a man who knows how to be alone, how to overcome rejection, how to lead colleagues, how to embrace his children,how to accept his wife as a person even when she acts unfairly, how to be fearlessly honest.

And yet he is not some miracle. He gets extremely frustrated an angry, but he can allow it to happen without picking on someone else.

What a movie!!

Apart from about 20 seconds at the start, the entire film is shot in the confined space of a BMW drivers seat. There is only one physical actor & about 4 different camera shots. Tom Hardy plays Ivan Locke, he lives a successful life in Construction & is a dedicated family man. He is calm and collected and gives the impression that he is a man all about control. In the time it takes him to drive from Birmingham to London, his whole life changes, and you get to see how and why through various telephone calls on Bluetooth loudspeaker.

Tom Hardy gives a very convincing performance and shows everybody that he is not a one trick pony and he can adapt well to different roles and scenarios. With Tom Hardy being the only star of this movie he really needed to bring a powerful performance that the audience can connect to, and he did this successfully in my opinion. The director stated that he wanted to make something completely different and fresh for mainstream cinema, there are other films out similar to this but the ones I have seen don't match up to Locke. This does feel unique and I can appreciate how making a film of this style must be challenging to make it entertaining and keep its viewers hooked. The run time is about right and at just over 80 minutes it's relatively short but I think this helps.

This movie is slow paced, its one man talking on the phone for 80 minutes, so if this doesn't sound like something for you then avoid! I personally found it tense and gripping. The film didn't head in the direction I thought it would but this isn't a bad thing. It has its own unique feel and this is always something I welcome in a world of cinema that is so saturated with clichés and over told stories!

When the credits rolled it did leave me thinking about the movie and had me thinking it over in my head. It actually made me feel quite emotional, this is all down to Tom Hardy and his performance. It is hard to say anything else about this movie without giving key plot points away!

7/10

For Locke's true power as a film to sink in you will need a few days to sit and ponder upon its small yet intricate construction, for in a film that is set almost entirely within the confines of one man's car, Locke deals with many an issue and does so by uncorking a powerhouse Tom Hardy performance and a downright believable script by Brit Steven Knight who here makes up for his dreary directing debut Hummingbird.

There will be many out there that have no time for Locke due to its setup and in a way this is not an unjust decision by them for Locke requires much of you as a viewer and does not look to find a way around this. Not perhaps since Ryan Reynolds found himself in a tight situation in Rodrigo Cortes 2010 film Buried has a film relied so heavily on the audience to bear with it and a performer to hold our attention with nothing more than a phone (or Bluetooth) to act alongside with. Locke's tightly focused pacing and realistic scripting are both hugely successful but it is in the performance of Hardy that the film finds its true power and ability to stick with you days after release.

Oft cast as the hulking or manic presence within a film as seen in any of Warrior, The Dark Knight Rises or Bronson, Hardy hear is a steely at times inwardly reserved Ivan Locke, a man whose world is crumbling around him despite being sheltered by his luxury ride. Playing Locke with a welsh accent and with a vulnerability within both his eye, Hardy showcases a rarely displayed side to his acting talents that Knight uncovers to great effect. Whether Locke is demanding or pleading, Hardy is in control even though his character is slowly but surely crumbling from within. It's one of the year's best acting turns, unflashy yet utterly commanding, Hardy achieves more with a singly look than some actors do within an entire role. It's worth also mentioning the voice work (the only other people you will hear during the entire movie, no one else is ever seen) of the cast here in Locke, from Olivia Colman through to The Impossible's Tom Holland as Locke's son Eddie, all voice performers give soul to the voices we hear on the phone.

A movie to be watched in the tightest surrounds available to you, Locke isn't an easy watch due to its setting and not a movie made for overall public consumption. Locke is however an incredibly smart and well-constructed film that is the perfect showcase for the increasing acting prowess of Tom Hardy, an actor that continues to stake a claim as one of if not the most interesting and diverse performers in the business today.

4 Bluetooth calls out of 5

For more movie reviews and opinions check into -

www.jordanandeddie.wordpress.com