Locke

A surprise at the 57th London Film Festival. A film where the whole story takes places inside the confines of a car, and with Tom Hardy as the one-man star. But just how well does it work?

Tom Hardy, known best for majors roles in The Dark Knight Rises and Inception drops the theatricality and larger than life appearances and takes on the role of average man Ivan Locke, a building site manager, who over the past nine years has made his life as solid as the concrete he is in charge of pouring. Concrete is his religion. On the eve of the biggest job yet, also Europe's largest ever - we follow his car journey from Brighton to Croydon as the world around him slowly crumbles and he loses it all.

British Screenwriter and Director Steven Knight, brings us yet another gripping British drama, after previously making Hummingbird starring Jason Statham earlier this year. Clocking in at just under 90 minutes, Locke is refreshingly short and never over stays its welcome. The narrative is actually so constant that even when Hardy is not in hands- free phone switchboard mode, we capture another underlying story. Locke provides just as much a character journey as it does a car journey.

During the recent UK Premiere, producer Paul Webster recalls his initial talks with Steven Knight, in which he said; 'I want to do something quite different, in a confined space, about a guy whose life changes during the course of one car journey. And we never leave the car.' And that is literally what happens. Bringing an ideal mix of humour and emotion to the project, Hardy's taunt performance is mesmerizing. The put-on Welsh accent is pretty decent also. Filmed in just eight nights and with very low budget, the film is literally a lesson of how unique and quite fantastic minimalist cinema can be.

I can only say we have to appreciate such work of arts since in the modern era of over-exploitation money took over all the popularity of the cinema. It is very obvious that the movie depends on a very limited budget, which I like the most when it comes to cinema, because it is not just for entertainment, or it is not all about marketing and sales. Apart from the story, the movie conveys a message that stimulating people's minds and imaginations does not necessarily require cutting- edge visual effects or a science-fiction rooted story. There are many ways to do that, and when you see the movie I assure you you will ask yourself "How on earth did they manage to craft such an extraordinary movie with such a straightforward story?".This movie has a pure and creative story flow which keeps you follow with all the focus. It makes you imagine, stimulates your curiosity and plays with your nerves. Better watch it yourself!

This film tells the journey of a construction manager who drives in his car from Birmingham to London, because of a responsible but destructive decision he has made. Over the course of the drive, he talks on the phone to various parties, hoping to make things right.

"Locke" is an interesting film because it has only one actor appearing on the screen. The number of calls Ivan gets is quite astonishing, at times even make my eyes roll. Yet, the calls change in emotion as time goes on, especially the wife's call, which is realistic and engaging. The last phone call by the son is also very emotional. I enjoyed watching this interesting and challenging film, both to make and to watch.

Tom Hardy plays Ivan Locke, a successful construction manager who makes a major decision on his journey home which will impact on every aspect of his life.

This a low budget drama from writer and director Steven Knight with Hardy the sole screen presence. As he takes to the road he is seemingly a man in control of his destiny, determined to do the right thing only for everything to slowly unravel. Through conversations on the phone he tries to negotiate an emerging crisis at work with his boss and an evolving domestic situation with a concerned wife and sons desperate to have their dad home to watch the football.

With a premise of just one actor in a confined location it is testament to Hardy's acting nous that he can pull off such a taught, powerful performance solely based on reactions to the increasingly dramatic phone calls. Locke is unrelenting in his belief of doing the right thing and we see why when he has imagined conversations with his father, an apparently neglectful and emotionally absent figure in his life. These scenes in particular are beautifully shot with the use of Locke looking into the car mirrors for the man who isn't there.

It wastes very little of its short running time and overall is a captivating and rewarding film with a terrific central performance.

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