A series of unfortunate events are all handled behind the wheel. Moment by moment. Locke is everything one could ask for when it comes to an unbelievable script with an unbelievably realistic plot. The similarity of this British "take" on James Franco's performance in the cringeworthy 127 Hours is set apart with an unending conversation that grounds the audience. Tom Hardy single-handedly anchors this one-scened mini thriller with an impossible amount of patience.
There's nothing to it. Sometimes a car is all you need to just go away.
It's no secret that Tom Hardy is the new face of being the tough guy every viewer can trust. I mean c'mon, just look at his last name. He's punched brass knuckles through enemies' faces, bent minds with Leonardo DiCaprio, cracked skulls with James Gandolfini, and dismantled the Dark Knight. Now he's sitting in a car. Battling himself and his choices. Talking on the phone. This could be his finest hour.
Director Steven Knight has orchestrated a controlled cacophony and placed Hardy in the driver's seat. Ivan Locke loves his family and his job. He's a respected construction manager as well as a perfectionist. It's obvious that this guy's passion in life is keeping everything in line and so far he's been quite successful. It's the night before the biggest concrete pour in the most important project of his career and he's gotten himself into a predicament that's hard to forgive but he persists in putting others before himself even if it costs him everything. While on the highway he has some serious conversations that are accompanied with twilight window glares and flashy camera shots that suck in the viewer and keep you scratching your head and leaning into what the next phone call could be.
The dialogue between Locke and those on the other end of the line is casual and poetic. There is nothing difficult about the details and no complications that take away from what transpires. Quite low budget and independent, Tom Hardy displays a smooth and matured version of his core Brit accent but, as he takes on a new light shows that his greatness abides by no traffic laws. Locke is every synonym of level-headed and focused with every intention of simplicity. GRADE: 8.9/10
No comments:
Post a Comment