Locke

...Locke provides irrefutable proof that he is. Tom Hardy is absolutely captivating in this role, and he has to be. It's all about his character Ivan Locke driving in a car. That's the setting. All forms of dialogue are from Locke and from calls he gets ingoing and outgoing through the car. The weird thing is, you don't even notice it after a while. Everything flows so smoothly and Tom Hardy's performance completely captures everything you'd expect from this character as he's experiencing these dilemmas - you believe every word out of his mouth and every subtle nuance in his expressions. Tom Hardy owns this movie and Locke really is the perfect vehicle (literally) for showing off his barebones acting chops.

The story itself is that Ivan Locke is a construction worker who just got off his shift and is now driving back, but then gets some calls that give us insight into what he has going on in his personal life and his work life and how Locke responds to this information as it gets progressively more stressful. It's incredible that a movie at only 82 minutes can go through such a roller-coaster of emotions, and as short as it is the movie still flies by because you're so drawn to the character. One of the voices is Locke's coworker voiced by Andrew Scott (Moriarty from Sherlock) and even as a voice-over his performance is totally convincing and his back-and-forth with Hardy is electric and at times humorous. His wife and other parties bring drama into the equation and as things start falling apart for Locke it dips into psychological thriller territory.

Steven Knight deserves much credit as well for having written and directed the film. It's so smooth and sleek, from the highway shots to the few overhead shots of the city at night. It's beautiful and adds the ideal atmosphere for this one-man show to maneuver in. It's a wonderfully written movie, wonderfully directed, perfectly acted (seriously, this is the performance of Hardy's career), with a spot- on supporting cast of voices. Locke is a mesmerizing movie from beginning to end. If you're a Tom Hardy fan or a fan of good cinema in general, you're doing yourself a disservice by not watching Locke.

Greetings again from the darkness. Most movies that take place in a confined space are outright thrillers that usually take full advantage of helpless feelings and desperate actions. Think back to Duel, Phone Booth and Buried. A ticking clock and lack of a safe escape route had us sweating bullets with Dennis Weaver, Colin Farrell and Ryan Reynolds. This entry from the Dallas International Film Festival takes a much different approach.

Noted British writer Steven Knight also directs this one, and rather than nail-biting tension, we get a pretty interesting character study. Mr. Knight has written some impressive screenplays: Dirty Pretty Things, Amazing Grace, and Eastern Promises. Utilizing every ounce of his writing expertise, he keeps us connected to Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy) as he drives on the freeway with intermittent rain being his biggest physical obstacle. There are no high speed chases. No stunts. No weapons. Ivan is not being followed by a spy or anyone else. He is merely driving and talking on the phone via Bluetooth.

In what could be considered the ultimate film gimmick, Tom Hardy is the only actor to appear on screen. His Ivan Locke is not just the only major character. He is the ONLY one. All supporting work and conflict is provided by a multitude of voices on the other end of a phone call. There is no need for me to delve into the story or the plot, but you should know that the situation Ivan finds himself in is not some creative web of criminal deceit ... instead it's his penance for one poor decision. That poor decision has him in a tough spot with very poor timing.

For those that wonder if Bane from The Dark Knight Rises has the acting chops to hold our attention, a reminder of Tom Hardy's fine work should alleviate concerns: Warrior, Inception, Lawless, Bronson, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. He can act and he can make a character his own, just as he does with Ivan Locke.

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.

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.

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.