FILM REVIEW: LOCKE

Tom Hardy is a fantastic character actor. He literally becomes his characters and it's very hard to see him doing it any other way. He's clearly the driving force behind Locke, a drama masqueraded as a thriller that although lacking on exciting locations, is made more real by it's simplicity. Hardy plays Locke, a family man who works on a construction site laying concrete. The film starts at the end of his shift and the following 90 minutes has us on a car journey with him going a place that puts his whole life in jeopardy. Straight from the beginning we know something is wrong. Locke sits at traffic lights indicating one direction but after pausing for a moment, decides to head off in another. This is the start of us asking what's he changed his mind for. And instead of having us know his situation from the get go, the first 20-30 minutes are used widely building his character and the situation he has been put in and how he will deal with it. Hardy has found a terrific role in Locke, the man torn by doing what's right and what will make everyone happy. He's a complex character fleshed out in a smart script but also a tight portrayal. The only thing that takes getting used to is the Welsh accent. It doesn't actually serve any purpose to the character but it does make you wonder why they felt a welsh accent would fit. It's a distracting start but by the end of the film you're used to it. My biggest and only real problem with the film is it was marketed as a thriller and because of this, I was expecting a different film completely. And while it doesn't effect the quality of the film presented, it does let my expectations down. Well directed, written and acted but don't go in expecting anything more than a character driven drama.  Rating: 6/10 Barry Mowatt