By Debbie Lynn Elias
When I first heard about LOCKE, I had no idea what to expect from writer/director Steven Knight. A man in a car? Driving? Alone? The whole concept of setting the film just within the confines of a car may have some thinking “what the hell can you do with that”, but Knight defies any expectations of doubt, mesmerizing with both character and cinematography. A touchstone of the world today where so much of our individual and collective lives is done on the phone while driving (hands-free, of course), from Ivan Locke’s first phone call, one is captivated. And then we see Tom Hardy give a tour de force performance in what is essentially a one-man show. We see the man and his world at the pinnacle of success and respectability, crash, but like the phoenix, rise, coming full circle to find hope and promise and the dawn of a new day, while he remains the calm amidst chaos, the calm in the eye of the storm.
Ivan Locke is a strong confident man. A construction contractor/site manager, he is also a devoted husband and loving father. Doing everything right is of the utmost importance to him. He carries that with him in life and at work, reinforcing those beliefs on the eve of the biggest job of his life. A 55-storey building, the tallest in the British Isles, is having its concrete foundation poured in the morning. One bad pour, one runny slurry, an improper grade of cement to cut costs, and that building will eventually topple. Much like life. Needing everything to go smoothly, Locke has thoroughly prepared for the event. The one thing he didn’t prepare for, however, was a telephone call from his one-time site assistant with whom he had a one-night stand and now, nine months later, she calls to say she is giving birth to his child and she needs him to come to the hospital; now.
Most men would dismiss the call and focus their attention on the matters at hand. But Ivan Locke isn’t just any man. He will maintain control and handle it all; even if that means turning the morning concrete pour over to his less experienced assistant, even if it means disappointing his two sons and a tradition of watching championship football together, even if it means confessing to his wife about his one-time indiscretion, even if it means losing his job. He is Ivan Locke. He is the foundation of his world. He will be strong. He will not crumble. Or will he?
With a steady stream of phone calls, LOCKE starts juggling all the balls amidst the darkness of night with the only light being the brightly lit blue-tooth dashboard display within the car, at times his best friend, and others, his worst nightmare. Problems mount with the job and his assistant Donal. Histrionic panic sets in with mother-to-be Bethan. Anger rages with his wife Katrina. Sadness fills his sons. And we are there in the car with LOCKE with only the faceless voices as company, telling the story of a man’s life.
As Ivan Locke, Tom Hardy is in control, commanding, a man reigning over a crumbling dominion but determined to steer the ship to where he wants it. The calm of Hardy is imposing, at times almost threatening. You are waiting for him to snap, to bend to break. Yet the only time he does is with himself. He never lets any chink in his armor be heard in his voice when speaking with others. The building is a metaphor for Locke himself. He is the solid secure foundation for all those around him. Hardy’s vocal intonations and modulation are key to the balance in creating LOCKE the man, infusing tonal differentials and variables depending on who’s on the other end of the phone. It resonates deeply.
Written and directed by Steven Wright, the construct of Locke fascinates, starting with the premise of shooting at night and the brilliance of cinematographer Haris Zambarloukus. Night shoots – on clean freeways that skirt majestic cities ablaze with lights against an inky night sky – have the capacity for gorgeous lensing and that’s precisely what Zambarloukus gives us. The play of lights, the blur and distortion, the color of tail-lights, signal lights, tinged yellow lights from buildings, the misty halogen pallor of street lamps. They mesmerize under Zambarloukus’ lens. Then you toss in tired eyes, the blur of a Robitussin-laden LOCKE and the weariness of driving in and of itself. And then you utilize everything a car has within the confines of the interior today – blue-tooth steering wheel technology, fully angular and adjustable seats, the glove compartment, the cup holder and compartment separating the front seats, the rear view mirror, the side view mirrors, the six windows on the body of the car, the angular depth of the seat upwards to the face or through the steering wheel. The result is visually stunning, three dimensional and “life” in today’s world.
The night is always darkest before the dawn. With Locke, Steven Knight and Tom Hardy give us those darkest hours and the brilliance of a new dawn.
LOCKE (Lionsgate). Written and directed by Steven Knight
Running time: 85 minutes. Rated R.
Now playing at the ArcLight Hollywood and the Landmark Westside Pavilion
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