Locke
Sundance Film Festival
Director: Steven Knight

I can’t believe I watched 85 minutes of a man driving a car, at night, by himself, without getting bored. Ivan Locke, played by Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises)—the sole visible actor in the film—begins driving home from a construction site the night before the biggest job of his career as a successful construction foreman. When a one-time lover calls him to announce the impending birth of a bastard child, he changes the course of his BMW and his life. He drives through the night, making phone call after phone call, methodically sorting through the consequences of his actions. Hardy brilliantly portrays a cool and meticulous professional who lets his perfect job, marriage and family slip away, all to set right his mistake—and to prove to himself and his dead father that the Locke name can be redeemed. A skilled and oftentimes hilarious vocal performance by Andrew Scott (Sherlock) provided laughs as well as depth, and it was nice to hear an old familiar voice from Peep Show’s Olivia Colman, even though her performance as Ivan’s wife made me feel like shit, as if I had committed the infidelity. If I had known this film was just a guy in a car, I wouldn’t have seen it. Aside from score that seems a little pushy at times, though, it’s a captivating, beautifully executed film—far from being boring. The writing, directing and acting are all spot-on. I could have ridden around with Hardy and listened to him talk for another half-hour, at least. –Cody Kirkland

Screening Times:
Sunday, Jan. 19 — 8:30 p.m. • Salt Lake City Library Theatre, Salt Lake City
Thursday, Jan. 23 — 9:30 p.m. • Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center, Salt Lake City
Friday, Jan. 24 — 10:00 p.m. • Redstone Cinema 2, Park City
Saturday, Jan. 25 — 11:59 p.m. • Egyptian Theatre, Park City