Locke

This is why I really really really would have wanted to be introduced to the world of film festivals earlier.  While I knew they existed, I could not make time for them with my “busy” schedules and I always thought they were boring fora where people come to promote “Art for Art’s sake”.  But over the 17 movies that I saw in MIFF, not one fell into this category.  In fact, some were outstanding to say the least.

Locke is a movie that has one actor.  Yep.  You heard that one right.  One actor.  Tom Hardy from frame 1 to the end of 85 minutes on the M1 or M3 (cannot remember that part at all).  Ivan Locke (Hardy) has to leave London to be next to Bethan (Olivia Colman) – a one night stand that he had a few months ago, because Bethan is about to give birth to their child.

Having established the premise of the movie, Steven Knight (Hummingbird) goes on to unravel one of the finest works in script writing that I have seen in a really long time.  The entire movie is shot in the car.  The entire movie is a series of telephone conversations that Ivan Locke has with several people along the way.

There is the conversation with Donal (Andrew Scott) a site engineer who is working on a serious deliverable that night.  One that involves a few road closures and complex setting of concrete.  One that needs Ivan on site through the night.  He could not have picked a worse night to not be on site but that is one aspect of Ivan that Knight establishes repeatedly through the movie – his priorities start with family.

Locke shuttles between Donal who is about to resort to cider to help him get through and Bethan who is on the throes of the highest level of pain known to mankind.  In between these two conversations, he is consumed by his desire to tell his wife Katrina (Ruth Wilson) who is expecting him back home that night because his sons wanted to watch the football (soccer) game on TV.

The plethora of emotions that Knight plays with is outstanding.  There is exasperation (Ivan with Donal). There is guilt (Ivan with Katrina).  There is anger (Katrina with Ivan).  There is doubt / ambiguity / confusion (Ivan and his sons).  There is desperation (Bethan with Ivan).  There is frustration (Ivan with his boss). And I could go on for a few more pages but I guess you are getting the drift.

Imagine the talent and capability on display to get all of these and more into less than 90 minutes of riveting dialogue.  To me, Locke was one of the finest movies made last year and definitely amongst the best that I saw.  Tom Hardy was on screen but the voices over the phone were equally good if not better.  Here’s to more such ideas that see the light of the day.  Here is to success to more such cinema makers!!! 8 on 10.  Don’t miss it.

No trailers found on line as such but here is a short clip called the Establishing Shot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V3IQ2aRNhI.  Watch this interview with Tom Hardy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqu3CGhMOx0

And of course, the highlight of the movie and probably the dialogue of the year is when Bethan asks Ivan

Bethan             :           Do You love me?

Ivan                 :           (in a dry acidic manner) That’s a question you are asking me probably because you are in pain or something.  How could I love you?

SIMPLY BRILLIANT!!!!