Review of Locke (2014) by Filmfann — 24 Nov 2014

The reviewers claiming this movie is boring are missing its point. Locke is a construction manager in charge of a large, important building being constructed. 7 months prior, in his only indiscretion, he had a one night stand and got a woman pregnant. Tonight she is having the baby in London. Locke's own father abandoned him when he was an infant and only showed up in his life when he was 23 years old. In reaction to this, Locke has chosen to live his life differently, ie not to run away from pressure or disaster or difficulty.. This movie focuses on the consequences of the principles he lives by: he will not lie, he will not run away, he will take responsibility and do what he feels is the right thing even though other people will hate him for it. Whether or not you agree with how he handles his marriage, his family, his job, under the circumstances is not as important as witnessing his absolute steadfastness to his principles and his commitment to living his life in a way so that he can respect himself. He firmly believes that all problems can be worked through. He doesn't convince his wife or his bosses of that though. But he does take the consequences of his decision. He holds it together under enormous pressure. This was a character study and Knight did a great job of rendering a particularly British idea about what makes a solid man.

The acting was remarkable considering Hardy had to hold our attention without any of the tricks of the typical action flick. Cinematography was beautiful. The music was superbly chosen and has stayed with me. If you want a film that makes you think about what it means to live your life well, whether or not you agree with Locke this film is thought provoking.