Steven Knight has written some of my favorite films, and so when I learned that he was making a trip to San Francisco on April 9, 2014, to promote LOCKE, I was more than delighted. A modest man with a dry wit, he humored my penchant for reading too much into things (the name Katrina for one), and richly rewarded that same penchant with the deliberate reference he made with the eponymous character. We also discussed the finer points of English regional accents that might be lost on American audiences, and when he first realized that the interior of a car would make for such a compelling setting for a film.
LOCKE is a richly detailed, finely nuanced film that takes place in real time and entirely in the interior of a BMW equipped with Bluetooth technology. The film stars Tom Hardy as the eponymous character, a man who leaves Birmingham with a solid marriage, a job he loves, and a life of both challenge and order. As he drives, to London, he leaves more than just a location behind, as a constant stream of phone calls reveals that Locke has made a decision based not so much on logic as on principle, the reasons for which unfold as the minutes and miles go past, and a man who has based his life on knowing the exact facts and figures for everything adjusts to that life not adding up the way he thought it would. The film co-stars the voices of Ruth Wilson, Olivia Colman, Andrew Scott, Tom Holland, and Bill Milner. Knight directed from his own script, which won the best screenplay at the British Independent Film Awards. His previous work includes the scripts for EASTERN PROMISES, DIRTY PRETTY THINGS, and AMAZING GRACE, which all dealt with honor in their own unique ways, as does this film.
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