In accepting the role of Ivan Locke it feels like Tom Hardy contemplated his accomplishment of acting around the Bain-tastically over-sized mouth-guard in The Dark Knight Rises and decided to one-up it for thespic constraint. We meet Locke as he gets into his car at the start of the night in Southern England. As he drives, he dials his phone (on speaker, because you know, safety) and he has a conversation. Then he calls someone else and has another.
And that is how the rest of this feature-length film goes. One man. Alone. In a car. Talking to a handful of different people on speaker phone as he navigates a pivotal moment in his life. Oh, and he does it all in a perfect Welsh accent.
There is always a danger that critics overrate a film such as this purely for the appeal of a fresh concept. In many ways though, this is as old as theatre. This is a very well scripted one-hander. It could be performed by one actor, on a tiny stage, with a single chair. The pressure is entirely and utterly on that performer, and Hardy is simply incredible.
Locke is an outlandish demonstration of cinematic skill. It’s two men showing off, really. Writer-director Steven Knight keeps us engaged throughout thanks to brilliant camerawork, editing and a tight, twisting script. Meanwhile Hardy appears to cruise through this tour-de-force as easily as his vehicle covers the miles.
This is not escapist popcorn fare and as such won’t be for all, but this is pure storytelling and acting and it is magnificent, compelling and wonderful. A must-see for anyone who loves the thought of seeing one of the great actors of our time pushing himself to the limit.
