Oscar-nominated screenwriter Steven Knight (Dirty Pretty Things) writes and directs a surprisingly riveting one-man show. The drama takes place entirely inside a BMW, on a nighttime and life-changing journey from Birmingham to London.
Behind the wheel is Ivan Locke (Tom Hardy), a veteran construction foreman, in an unwavering and self-redeeming mission to do what is right: to be on the side of Bethan, a one-night stand from months ago, while she gives birth to his child. This isn't so surprising, except it's right on the eve of a historic concrete pour that he's in charge of—and he's got a big date with his family at home.
Through Locke's conversations alone with his boss, assistant, wife, his two sons, and Bethan via his hands-free car phone, we experience Locke's life unraveling in a tense and emotional way. Knight's masterful script, filled with rich and poetic dialogue, is brilliantly delivered by the cast of disembodied voices, particularly by Lock's hilarious assistant Donal, voiced by Andrew Scott (Jim Moriarty of Sherlock).
Knight gives us a fascinating protagonist; Ivan Lock is a solid, pragmatic man, passionate about his work, highly responsible and compassionate, but not without his personal demons—competently performed by a handsome, thickly accented Hardy.
Haris Zambarloukos' slick cinematography—the elegant string of headlights, the semi-dark endless highway to an unknown future, and the cramped interior of the car—complements the drama and the suspense. However, since the major strength of the movie is the storytelling and the voice acting, Locke could have been an audio book and it wouldn't have made a difference.
Locke is quietly powerful and profound. The beauty and brilliance of the film is the simple, moving story; a literal and metaphorical journey. Driving his car from Point A to Point B, an ordinary man experiences his life dramatically transition from the old chapter to the new one.
4 out of 5 stars
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