Wait, what? Tom Hardy is an actor? I mean, sure, he was terrific in Bronson, but his character was so over the top that he seemed kind of easy to play. Locke, however, is a movie about a concrete engineer driving to London in a car. That’s it. We never leave the car. We never see any other actors. Hardy barely even moves – he just has one cell phone conversation after another as his life crumbles around his ears.But oh man, does Hardy sell it. We come to admire his character’s professionalism, feel aghast at his mistakes, and completely engage in his problems. No voice over, no scenery, just a guy and a phone and a crisis. It’s brilliant, masterful stuff (written and directed by Steven Knight), and it puts Hardy in an entirely different league. This is the kind of movie that lands an action star in prestige pictures.
And that screenplay – wow. It fills in the story like a painter adding layers, each layer expanding and deepening the picture. I want to read it.
This is a brilliant film. I’m so glad I saw it.
