Locke (2013)

Locke (2013) 

Directed by: Steven Knight
Starring: Tom Hardy
Certificate: 15
Genre: Drama

A film which captures an hour and twenty-five minutes of a car journey in which Tom Hardy's character, Ivan Locke, a construction site manager, faces a battle with his conscious after making decisions which will heavily impact his life as he knows it.

After watching this film, the most notable point to make is the success of how the film was put together and filmed. About 98% of the film was shot in just the main characters car using different angles and ranges of shots from the exterior and interior. Much like 12 Angry Men in the aspect of the restricted location of filming, this whole film focuses on the character development and progress of Ivan Locke who gradually has his normal life destroyed from start to finish of the car journey, as each phone call he receives and makes, furthers the characters anger and regret.

Tom Hardy, has one of his most underrated performances capturing the emotions of this character following some excellent script writing which had me hooked from start to finish. The editing and direction of this film was also to a very high standard as it was pieced together perfectly and the characterisation of Ivan was almost realistic and portrayed so well and feels as if we, the audience, are looking into an account of a real persons private problems. The incidental music throughout the film maintained an eerie and tense atmosphere to the car journey in between each phone call.

The only downsides I could pick from this film were just minor flaws. After watching the film I felt like there was very little re-watch ability, I would recommend somebody else to watch it but for me I couldn't sit down again and have that same engaged feeling I did in the first viewing. The ending as well, I thought, was a little empty, I'm not one for having entire closure at the end of films but the last scene left me a bit unfulfilled, however I shall not spoil what happens.

Rating: B-

Pros:

Tom Hardy's performance as Ivan Locke
Character Development
Script

Cons:

Little Re-watch ability
Ending