As with Snowpiercer, I have to take responsibility, personal responsibility for the recommendation to watch this film. Fully aware that some film lovers, and those better than me, will reject this film, in the sense of disagreeing with my almost great impression. I think most will be tiring and boring, monotonous. I watched it in one breath even though this is not a movie to watch in one breath. Now, whether my fascination with the film stems from my vortexing of the lead actor (ok and the only one in the film) Tom Hardy or something else, I can’t say for sure. I can only say that this drama thrilled me with some so-called elements of the thriller and bought it at first sight (trailer).
The main character of this film is a man named Ivan Loke, a successful civil engineer, as well as a dedicated and caring family man. The plot of the film takes place in England, we know that because Loke is driving in London, and he speaks with a Welsh accent, but in fact the plot of the film takes place in his car. Yes, I have to mention that, the whole plot of the film, all 84 minutes happen in his car. The night before his big project, on which he worked for months, he receives a phone call that changes all his previous priorities. By all parameters, can this wrong decision lead to the complete disintegration of someone’s life, or can it actually redirect someone’s life in another, perhaps better direction?
The director and screenwriter of the film is Steven Knight, a British man, primarily a screenwriter and producer, and so far the most famous film he has worked on is Eastern Promisses (2008). He is currently with the Peaky Blinders series with Siliana Murphy. He has also worked on the films Redemption (2013) and Dirty Pretty Things (2002), and we are looking forward to the epic fantasy Seventh Son that will appear next year. He somehow turned his writing style into directing, which is especially evident in this film, which is composed of great conversations and fantastic monologues of the main actor.
The entire film is worn by the only actor who appears in the film, and that is Tom Hardy. We already wrote about him on our site when we mentioned the films Bronson, Warrior and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. His roles in Bronson and Warrior have shown us to some extent what potential we are dealing with, but this film is his strongest role / performance in any form so far. Films like this serve to show the skills of the actor who wears it, and Hardy simply excels in every scene, in every dialogue or monologue with great facial reactions / expressions that really convince us of the essence of his character’s inner survival. I liked his address to the dead father the most, with whom he sometimes talks and with whom he has unsettled accounts, and when he sees in the review mirror. He actually sees himself, he doesn’t have a father, but that comparison has strength, especially when he repeats that he will do the right thing, unlike his father who, we assume, didn’t do it.
As I mentioned, there are real chances to give the film a lower grade, there is no secret, no difference between us, the fact that I see something that you will not or some film superiority in terms of knowledge. There are simply some movies that buy you for no particular, visible or explanatory reason. This is such a movie, at least for me.
