Tom Hardy. In a car. With a phone. As pitches for a movie go, director Steven Knight (writer of 'Eastern Promises') has chosen an unusual approach for his second film at the helm. But will this minimalist drama be a vanity project or something altogether more different?
The former 'Bane' plays Ivan Locke, a Welsh contractor who drives from his workplace in Birmingham to London the evening before the biggest job of his life. Why? Because the woman he is having an affair with is having their baby two months early. As he speeds to the birth, he must appease his boss, reason with his wife, and keep his mistress calm as he tries to organise his shattering professional and personal lives.
If Hardy is the star in front of the camera, Knight is surely star behind it. He takes a concept that's very unique in an industry full of transforming superhero smurfs, and makes it as thrilling as anything you could see in the multiplex. Very ordinary, relatable storylines collide along with a tone that draws you into Locke's world and raises the stakes for everyone watching. Considering the resources Knight gives himself to tell the story, that's an impressive feat indeed.
As Robert Redford recently proved in 'All Is Lost', a film entirely focused on one actor can be a great platform for your acting talents. Of course, Hardy has more than proven himself over the past few years, but as Ivan Locke he gets a chance to showcase himself without the distractions of CGI's, action set pieces or even co-stars. Although every bit the tough, almost calculating character (complete with rather convincing Welsh accent), the shadow of his character's father looms large, and he becomes a man desperate to minimalize the impact of the biggest mistake of his life.
Not that this is a scenery-chewing, arm-flailing type of performance- quite the opposite, but that quiet and measured performance draws you in and reveals an altogether larger chaos.
He is assisted by some strong vocal performances on the other end of the phone- Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson and Tom Holland all form the world that is crashing down on Ivan, and somehow their voices off camera makes the destination he is driving to seem all the more foreboding.
'Tom Hardy in a car for 90 minutes' may not sound riveting (unless you really like Tom Hardy), but 'Locke' is the type of movie we wish there were more of. Intelligent, thoughtful, and strangely thrilling.
Locke is out in cinemas from April 18.
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