MOVIE REVIEW: LOCKE

5/5

Ivan Locke is driving through the night to do the right thing - to be with the present during the birth of his baby. The problem is that this woman is not his wife and he is leaving in the rear view mirror his family, who is waiting for him to come home and watch a football game together, and a career shuttering event at his job. During the one hour and a half drive Lock will face numerous challenges of his personal and professional life. The night in front of him seems like a dark tunnel of despair. Will he come out to the light on the other side?

Locke is a small one-man thriller, that works great as a theatre play, but takes most of the advantages the cinema has to offer. There are no car chases, shootings or terrorists, but somehow LOCKE reminds the best episode of 24 TV series, only the threat is coming from within the main character, from his one mistake and one decision and determination to make things right by everyone.

Ivan Locke is easy to relate to. He is devoted to his family, takes pride in his work and has a strong sense of morality. But above all he is human and humans make mistakes, so we love him also for that. But there’s a dark side to him and the motives to his decision may have a different sort of a motivation - a revenge to a man long time dead.

Tom Hardy gives its outmost to this moving performance as a man who can move from total control to despair in a matter of seconds and who has the ability to inspire both his colleagues and the viewers. His Locke is a good man whose decision to make things right is working against him. Troubles are piling up and he has to juggle all the problems like balls, at the same time keeping his hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.

LOCKE is written and directed by English veteran director Steven Knight who seems to take very personal approach to the story. (the problem of fathers and sons in the movie feels like a homage to a personal experience). The movie features multiple cuts, but is shot in almost real time, which gives it a sense of urgency and even more credit to Tom Hardy’s performance.

LOCKE proves that personal daily dramas can be as life threatening and tense as action thrillers.  Following a man through the darkest night of his life we have no doubts that he is doing the right thing, but is it for the right reason? LOCKE offers no easy answers, but it’s a ride that you will not forget.