Locke (4 stars out of 4)

Steven Knight originally envisioned his new film Locke as a stage play. The entire story takes place in a car driving from one point to another in what is seemingly real-time. There would be only one actor communicating with the rest of the cast over phone conversations. By expanding the scope of his production to film and hiring Tom Hardy to play the only actor on screen, Knight has made one of the most exciting and contemplative films to come out in some time. What might have worked as a play becomes a tense film which will confront viewers on the choices they have made in their lives. Both Knight and Hardy have made the first existential film of 2014 in a bullet-paced trip that leaves the audience reeling from the adrenaline but also from the feelings that it inspires.

Ian Locke (Tom Hardy) pulls to a stop sign after a day at work. He waits several beats too long as the vehicle behind him gets impatient. After a long wait he finally turns. This begins his journey from Birmingham to London that is presented in roughly real-time. Using his car's Bluetooth-enabled phone, Locke starts making calls. He contacts his wife Katrina (voice of Ruth Wilson) and informs his family that he won't be coming home tonight. Locke can't give them a reason but simply asks them to trust his decision. He then calls his boss, explaining that he won't be at the construction site the next morning to take part in a major concrete job. He informs his boss that there is something he needs to take care of and that is all. This sets in motion a journey with Locke talking to various people over his phone, himself and people who aren't even there as he convinces himself that he is doing the right thing. There was a mistake that needed to be made right, no matter if he loses everything.

Tom Hardy is no stranger to acting almost alone. In Nicolas Winding Refn's 2008 film Bronson, Hardy spent the entirety of the film "breaking the fourth wall" to the audience as he told the life of his famous criminal Charles Bronson. Here though, he doesn't have the cinematic flare of Refn to supplement his performance. Although Locke is a expertly-made film, it lives and dies by Hardy and his performance. There is not a moment where Hardy is anything less than amazing. The audience could not ask for a better actor to hold their attention for 85 minutes. He crafts Locke with a wonderful combination of humanism, humor, and even occasional moments of raw emotion. Some may be put off by his accent (his Welsh accent is at times not too far removed from his Bane accent from The Dark Knight Rises) but that is definitely not a very large indictment. The only pity is that Hardy's performance will no doubt be forgotten before next year's award season.

Although Hardy's performance is the most prevalent component in Locke, the writing and direction of Steven Wright is the true second performer. On paper, a film about a man that takes place exclusively in a car sounds like it could be either extremely boring or cut in a way that would make Michael Bay get motion-sickness. Wright finds the perfect medium with his portrayal of the actions going on inside the car. He never caves in to adding in action (there are no car crashes or chases here) yet keeps the story taut and interesting. The 85 minutes fly by but we never feel frazzled or confused. His presentation completely compliments his character, a man who is completely certain in an uncertain situation.

One of the most unexpected parts of Locke is how extremely funny it is. At the screening, the audience was slowly warmed into laughing. Some of the conversations and ways Locke handles them are genuinely funny, even when they are not the most comfortable or friendly. This has as much to do with Hardy's acting brilliance as it does with Wright's script. By the end of the screening, the audience was alternating between hushed sadness and laughter. A movie like this could have been completely serious and unrelenting. The decision of Wright and Hardy to play up the comedic elements in these realistic yet ridiculous conversations is just another brilliant quality of this film.

Although it is not necessarily a movie full of twists and turns, it would be wrong to delve into the plot and action of the film more. The advertising campaign did something seemingly unthinkable in today's film climate and doesn't give away anything more than "Tom Hardy is in a car and it is tense". While it isn't a film like Audition where the less you know, the more impacting it is, there is a certain beauty in going into a film like this relatively in-the-dark. Locke presents some wonderful human debates about what it takes to make something "right" and if that is even possible. It is a movie that can and will be analyzed afterwards in coffee shops and theater lobbies. It will also no doubt develop a following when it hits Netflix Instant. Although viewing Locke in a theater is an exhilarating experience, it is the rare tense film that could play just as well in the isolation of a living room. 

Locke is a daring and captivating film. It is able to be both accessible and deep. It is full of thoughts and challenges that any person has had to go through. "Can I make this right?" "Am I doing the right thing?" At the end of the film, you might not have all the answers. Neither does Locke.