Locke Review - 3 Stars

Tom Hardy dominates the unusual drama “Locke”–in fact he’s the only actor we see in this story as he travels from Birmingham to London while taking calls on his cell phone.  His journey comes the night before one of the largest construction projects of his career.  But duty takes him away.  Over the course of an hour and a half we learn the details of his life, the consequences of his action, and get a sense of his morals and character.  “Locke” essentially gives us one man in a car driving at night talking on the phone.  The technique comes from the golden age of radio drama when dialog and narrative told listeners the story.  “Locke” uses multiple camera to capture the road, the night, the car’s shiny surfaces and the voice and emotions of Hardy.  It’s a wonderful piece of acting and most unusual.  You’ll get in line for what Tom Hardy does next  Does it deliver what it promises?  Unusual story told over a real-time drive.  Is it entertaining?  Great tension and keep you involved.  Is it worth the price of admission?  One of this year’s must see performances, although it’s more in the tradition of radio than motion pictures.