Locke [2013]

October 30, 2014

I think you should know that this movie is set entirely in just one location: Ivan Locke’s car. I also think that you should know that this is one of the best set-in-the-car movies I have seen. You won’t fucking feel it. Locke just goes on to show that with a great script you can do almost anything and it will be still good. The conversations are so real and intense that you will feel such sympathy with Ivan. I have to stay neutral about this thing because I know some parts of the audience will hate Ivan, some will cheer for him, but all of us will walk out with something after the end of the movie. The decision to focus on reality with a bit of humor was the crucial one. It made this movie. And Tom Hardy fucking rocks. His acting seems natural and effortless; a sign of a huge talent.

This is a very important night for Ivan Locke. He works for a construction company and for tomorrow’s one of the most complex parts of the building process, the concrete pour. However, he receives a phone call that will change his plans and life. As he enters his car, Ivan knows that nothing will be that same, but that’s not as important as the concrete pour, one of the largest in Europe that he was supposed to oversee. Problems just keep piling up.

The study of character that is Locke is rarely seen in mainstream Hollywood. It shows us that you never needed some car chases or big explosions for that engaging and nerve-wracking atmosphere. Just a determined man in his car. From a male perspective, I must say that the Locke character has been written perfectly. He’s not only rational but also human, bringing life to a “movie character” that will perhaps make you reevaluate your own life and future decisions. I don’t know if you noticed that I avoided using the term “change himself”, but I did that because if I wrote it, it wouldn’t be true. His life may change, but he will remain the same, a man who knows what he likes and what are his responsibilities and obligations. First, know thyself then others goes the old saying that I just made up.

On the other hand, I also have to notice the overflowing masculinity in the third layer of analysis. First of all, most men use driving and cars, in general, to get away from their ordinary lives. When you’re driving a car you feel in control because you actually are. You are responsible for your life and the lives of others. That sense of responsibility ties in with the sense of masculinity and life and general. Secondly, his job is a very responsible one, because as a supervisor of a large concrete pour he needs to triple-check everything. And with the family angle, the trifecta is complete. Written by Steven Knight who’s next project was the cult television show Peaky Blinders, it’s no wonder. If you want to continue the tour through his exploration of male characters you can check out: Eastern Promises and Hummingbird.