Plot: What’s it about?
I don’t know what it is about me lately, but I’m all about strange movies and television shows. Recently I watched and reviewed a rather odd film called Under the Skin in which Scarlett Johansson played an alien who lured men into her lair only to kill them in a rather unique way. I watched the entire series of Breaking Bad and one of my favorite episodes was “Fly” in which the two main characters spent the episode trying to, you guessed it, kill a fly. So when I received Locke, I was a bit perplexed as I certainly recognized Tom Hardy (the one and only star of the movie), but read a few reviews of it prior to my viewing. A man in a car. Well, I’ve seen odd films before so I was set to give it my full attention. And let’s not forget Hardy who has distinguished himself as one of the premiere actors in recent years. His credits vary from The Dark Knight Rises to Inception to Warrior. Certainly the man’s got range.
Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy) is good at his job. He’s a construction foreman and on the eve of the biggest pour (I guess that’s construction lingo for breaking ground on a new building) he’s called his friends and co-workers to tell them he won’t be present when things get going. He’s received a phone call from a woman with whom he’d had a one night stand with several months earlier. This woman is now pregnant and is having her child two months early. He’s driving from Birmingham to London to be with her as she gives birth and has told his wife and boss his plans. Naturally this doesn’t sit well with either of them. As we follow Locke (who never leaves his BMW), we learn a bit about him, his motivations and why he’s doing what he’s doing.
Though the plot is fairly easy to outline, it’s vastly more complex than it would seem. Hardy does a masterful job with his role and it’s a testament to how good of an actor he really is to be able to pull this off. We have to wonder about his motivations as well. His boss fires him and says “Why didn’t you just say you were sick?” to which Locke replies “I am not.” In a world where men run away from their obligations, Locke embraces it. Is he right? He cheated on his wife. Is he looking for gratitude? Sympathy? Or does he feel what he’s doing is just the right thing to do? As we follow him on his literal journey, we can see the pain on his face – he’s a man with issues, for sure. If you’re not a fan of Tom Hardy, this isn’t a movie for you. It’s him on screen from opening to closing. I profoundly think that writer/director Steven Wright (Eastern Promises and Dirty Pretty Things) has sculpted something memorable here. It’s to perfect, mind you, but it’s interesting and unique enough to warrant a viewing. Recommended.
Video: How’s it look?
The movie plays out in a close approximation of real time and that time is 85 minutes. Having said that, the transfer hold up remarkably well and even as dark as the palate is, it looks pretty darn good. Presented in a 2.40:1 AVC HD image, Locke does have a very unique look to it as it’s just a man in a car at night. Detail is above average as we can see the numbers and names on Locke’s car display. We can make out his beard, see the perforations in the leather and the like. As dark as this film is, I was expecting there to be a bit of noise or macro blocking – nope. The camera sometimes leaves the car, but it’s always right there and this makes for a very interesting perspective. This gets high marks and looks the part on Blu-ray.
Audio: How’s it sound?
To say that this movie is dialogue-driven is an understatement as this movie is entirely dialogue-driven. The conversations Locke has with his friends and family are done via Bluetooth on his car phone, so the quality on the “other” end isn’t quite what we’d expect if the actors were on screen. Still, the sharpness and crispness of Hardy’s voice comes through and even with a Welsh accent to boot. Ambient sounds are there…sort of as we get a few scenes with a police car and some background noise. It’s not a mix that’ll rock the room, but then again it’s not supposed to.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary – Writer/Director Steven Knight gives a pretty decent commentary track. We learn of the original idea that led to the film, the choice to cast Tom Hardy and little things like how Hardy’s flu was factored into the film. It’s a good track and well worth a listen.
- Ordinary Unraveling: Making Locke – If you’ve listened to the commentary track, there’s a bit of redundant information here, but it’s more along the lines of your typical EPK with some behind the scenes footage as well as some interviews with Knight and Hardy.
- Digital Copy
