Ivan Locke is on the eve of the biggest challenge ofhis career. Tomorrow sees the biggest concrete pour ever that will serve as the
foundation for Europe’s largest building to date. As the foreman of the site he is considered
not only the go-to expert but also a safe pair of hands to insure that this
mammoth operation will be done without a single hitch. However, that night he receives a phone call
that will not only put the whole project in jeopardy, but will serve to unravel
his job, family and his entire life.
Several months earlier whilst on another ‘concrete
pour’ away from home, Locke had a one-night stand with an older rather lonely
woman. It was a brief fleeting moment
that he had totally forgotten about until tonight when the woman, very scared
and panicking, had suddenly phoned him out of the blue to tell his she was
about to give birth to his baby at any moment. So after finishing work that day
he jumps into his BMW and hotfoots it down the motorway from Birmingham to the
hospital in London where the woman is having a difficult labor.
pour’ away from home, Locke had a one-night stand with an older rather lonely
woman. It was a brief fleeting moment
that he had totally forgotten about until tonight when the woman, very scared
and panicking, had suddenly phoned him out of the blue to tell his she was
about to give birth to his baby at any moment. So after finishing work that day
he jumps into his BMW and hotfoots it down the motorway from Birmingham to the
hospital in London where the woman is having a difficult labor.
In the course of the 3-hour drive Locke tries to
manage the job and also his wife remotely by a series of very fraught phone
conversations. Neither his flabbergasted
boss nor his unsuspecting wife can accept Locke’s reasoning for abandoning them
both on a whim like this and the phone calls get menacing and bitter as they
threaten to destroy Locke if he persists with what they can only see as a foolhardy
plan.
manage the job and also his wife remotely by a series of very fraught phone
conversations. Neither his flabbergasted
boss nor his unsuspecting wife can accept Locke’s reasoning for abandoning them
both on a whim like this and the phone calls get menacing and bitter as they
threaten to destroy Locke if he persists with what they can only see as a foolhardy
plan.
Meanwhile in between all this rancor Locke is also balancing
calls to his deputy Forman who Locke is convinced can manage the task on his own,
even though at this hour the man is already the worse the wear for drink. He also manages to deal with the police and
council officials to insure that the construction site has all the right permits
for the task. On top of which Bethan,
the now very distraught mother to be, is also bombarding Locke with hysterical
demands as her deteriorating condition means that the Hospital need to make
decisions to try to save the baby.
calls to his deputy Forman who Locke is convinced can manage the task on his own,
even though at this hour the man is already the worse the wear for drink. He also manages to deal with the police and
council officials to insure that the construction site has all the right permits
for the task. On top of which Bethan,
the now very distraught mother to be, is also bombarding Locke with hysterical
demands as her deteriorating condition means that the Hospital need to make
decisions to try to save the baby.
Throughout this all Locke is cool and collected and deals
all the anger thrown at him is a quiet reasoned manner. Even though his Boss fires him, Locke
continues to brief his (ex) deputy as he is still convinced that he can
supervise the job at a distance. He does
however fail to calm his hysterical wife and she refuses to now take his calls
and Locke is left communicating to her through his two teenage sons who are not
interested in any family drama and much keener in relaying the play-by-play
detail of the football match they had been hoping to watch with him on TV that
night.
all the anger thrown at him is a quiet reasoned manner. Even though his Boss fires him, Locke
continues to brief his (ex) deputy as he is still convinced that he can
supervise the job at a distance. He does
however fail to calm his hysterical wife and she refuses to now take his calls
and Locke is left communicating to her through his two teenage sons who are not
interested in any family drama and much keener in relaying the play-by-play
detail of the football match they had been hoping to watch with him on TV that
night.
The sons are obviously the real joy in Locke’s life
but in the gaps between the phone calls we learn the real reason why his is insisting
on undertaking this journey tonight and its to do with the fact his own father
had deserted him at an early age, and so Locke will do anything to avoid
repeating this, even though it may end up at a very steep cost. He has no intention at all of starting any
sort of relationship with Bethan, but he wants to take responsibility for his
new child regardless. Whatever his irate
boss and his wife who has been blindsided by this one act of betrayal think of
him, Locke is in fact a decent man who simply wants to do the best.
but in the gaps between the phone calls we learn the real reason why his is insisting
on undertaking this journey tonight and its to do with the fact his own father
had deserted him at an early age, and so Locke will do anything to avoid
repeating this, even though it may end up at a very steep cost. He has no intention at all of starting any
sort of relationship with Bethan, but he wants to take responsibility for his
new child regardless. Whatever his irate
boss and his wife who has been blindsided by this one act of betrayal think of
him, Locke is in fact a decent man who simply wants to do the best.
Written and directed by Steven Knight, who picked up an Oscar Nomination for his screenplay
for Stephen Frears ‘Dirty Pretty
Things’ and is also known for writing ‘Eastern Promises’ for David Cronenberg. Knight wrote this piece for Tom Hardy and when he persuaded the actor
to take the part, he was given just 2 weeks by the Actor’s agent to shoot the
whole thing. It is a tour-de-force career defining performance by Hardy who is
on screen in that car for the entire performance. He is nothing short of electrifying and I can
totally appreciate why Knight insisted that the role was his alone.
for Stephen Frears ‘Dirty Pretty
Things’ and is also known for writing ‘Eastern Promises’ for David Cronenberg. Knight wrote this piece for Tom Hardy and when he persuaded the actor
to take the part, he was given just 2 weeks by the Actor’s agent to shoot the
whole thing. It is a tour-de-force career defining performance by Hardy who is
on screen in that car for the entire performance. He is nothing short of electrifying and I can
totally appreciate why Knight insisted that the role was his alone.
There is whole plethora of wonderful English talent
who are the disembodied voices at the end of the phone that included Olivia Colman, Ben Daniels, Danny Webb,
Andrew Scott and particularly Ruth
Wilson as Locke’s distraught wife.
who are the disembodied voices at the end of the phone that included Olivia Colman, Ben Daniels, Danny Webb,
Andrew Scott and particularly Ruth
Wilson as Locke’s distraught wife.
Hands up too for Haris Zambarloukos the D.P. and
Justine Wright the editor for helping make an entire movie short in car so
compelling.
Justine Wright the editor for helping make an entire movie short in car so
compelling.
This small indie movie was shown in the Spotlight
Section at Sundance this year and is just about to have a limited theatrical
release in the UK. I do so hope it
becomes more widely available as the audience it so well deserves should see it.
Section at Sundance this year and is just about to have a limited theatrical
release in the UK. I do so hope it
becomes more widely available as the audience it so well deserves should see it.
★★★★★★★★★
