Locke (18th April)
The only argument to be had over a story as well written as Locke is as to whether it belongs on the stage or the screen. Tom Hardy is fantastic as Ivan Locke, a construction foreman on a long night’s drive from Birmingham to London. The film takes place entirely inside Ivan’s BMW with the drama unfolding through a series of hands-free phone calls between Ivan and his family and co-workers. Something big has happened and Ivan steps up to mastermind his life, making emotional and logistical decisions under pressure from all directions. The film’s central theme is responsibility and watching one man’s attempt to organise his way out of crisis after crisis is compelling viewing. Tom Hardy is at the top of his game.
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (11th July)
Teed up nicely by the first of the rebooted franchise (2011), Dawn takes place in a world where human civilization has collapsed and a sticks-and-stones struggle for land and resources is the way of life. In the 10 years since the events of the previous film, ape leader Caesar has effectively formed a society away from human interference. When the two species collide once more, it is up to the good guys on either side to halt the impending war mongered by their not-so-peaceful counterparts. Weta Digital continues to lead the way in the field of performance capture with extraordinary technical work. Thankfully their efforts are matched by those of the writers who have produced a smart political fable that will hopefully continue to deepen as the franchise moves forward.
Boyhood (15th August)
The best film of the year so far is Boyhood. Richard Linklater’s speciality is time, as it is experienced in real life, with all the messy detours and untidy exchanges uncut. In the same way that Slacker (1991) was a ramble through a day in Austin and the Before films (1995 – 2013) are a ramble through an afternoon/evening, Boyhood covers 12 years in the life of its main character, Mason, aged from 6 to 18. Its dialogue is characteristic of the other films in Linklater’s oeuvre, a kind of well-constructed naturalism written during improv sessions in the rehearsal room. While the most extraordinary thing about the film is watching Mason’s progression from boy to man, what flies under the radar are the performances of Ethan Hawke and Patricia Arquette as his parents. Arquette in particular is gut-wrenchingly good as a mother whose two-decade-long dedication to her children suddenly seems meaningless to her in the face of their move away to college. With Boyhood depicting the years of youth flying by in a 165 minute running time, the film seems to say as much about a parent’s perception of time as it does their children’s development. A real achievement.
Pride (12th September)
Suspicious as I am of a feel-good British film of the year, Pride is actually brilliant. Covering the unlikely alliance between a Welsh mining village and a group of gay rights activists in London during the 1984 strike, Pride lets the true story do the telling. Passionate portrayals of strong characters give the drama heart and substance. Simple direction lets the writing shine and there is real warmth to the humour. Paddy Considine, Bill Nighy and Imelda Stauton are typically excellent and are matched by the younger cast. Attention to period detail makes the film look perfectly ‘80s and its grasp of the issues of the time feels sensitive but also brave and thorough.
Jon Bates Writes 