Locke

Films with a minimalist cast are often tricky to do. Sometimes there's too much for the few characters to do while other times there's not enough for them to do. It all requires the right balance.

Steven Knight's Locke has such a balance, and it shows throughout the film's short runtime. In the film's 85-minute duration, Knight relies on a short story, key actors and a sharp eye to make his film work. And boy, does it pay off.

The main star of Locke is Tom Hardy, who is definitely one of the best actors out of the UK in recent years. Here, Hardy proves he can carry a film very much on his own. (Then again, he more or less already proved that with Bronson.) The camera lingers only on him and damn, he knows what he's doing.

The main supporting actors (which are only their voices) are familiar names to those who have seen their fair share of British television. (Those actors, by the way, are Olivia Colman, Ruth Wilson and Andrew Scott.) Much like with Scarlett Johansson in Her, they provide dynamic performances with only their voices. (I'm starting to see a trend form.)

Anyway, Locke is a very effective piece of filmmaking. Knight proves that you don't always need to go into grand detail to make a damn good film. Sometimes simpler is better.

My Rating: *****