Locked Down
Covid + Mandatory masks = Easy robberies.
Cast of Characters:
Linda Thurman – Anne Hathaway
Paxton Riggs – Chiwetel Ejiofor
Michael Morgan – Stephen Merchant
Kate – Mindy Kaling
Charlotte – Lucy Boynton
Donald – Mark Gatiss
Essien – Claes Bang
Malcolm – Ben Stiller
Solomon – Ben Kingsley
Director – Doug Liman
Screenplay – Steven Knight
Producer – Michael Lesslie, P.J. van Sandwijk & Alison Winter
Rated R for language throughout and some drug material.
The Rundown: Paxton Riggs (Chiwetel Ejiofor) and Linda Thurman (Anne Hathaway) are a disgruntled married couple on the outs who have been forced to remain “together” thanks to the COVID-19 lockdowns. While Linda’s been able transition to a work-from-home position with the company she hates working for, Paxton has struggled to find meaningful work even before the pandemic’s beginning, thanks to an assault arrest from years prior.
But opportunity comes knocking for them both when Paxton’s boss Solomon (Ben Kingsley), short on drivers without criminal records, offers him a job making delivery runs under a false identity, and Linda’s boss Malcolm (Ben Stiller) tasks her with securing the sale and delivery of an extremely valuable diamond located at a nearby Harrods department store.
And take a wild guess at who’s been assigned to make the delivery?
Pre-Release Buzz: First announced in September 2020 and shot over the course of just 18 days on a relatively lean budget, Locked Down comes to us courtesy of director Doug Liman and screenwriter Steven Knight, and is the next film to tackle the recent pandemic following movies like Host and Songbird. Though not the first film to center around COVID, given the Oscar caliber cast and talent behind the camera, this definitely is the one with the most cachet, and with Liman’s roots being based in character/dialogue driven comedy, poses the potential to be one of the more entertaining.
The Good: Gotta hand it to Steven Knight here. With Locke, which he both wrote and directed, he made what is essentially just Tom Hardy talking on the phone while driving for 90 minutes absolutely riveting. Then Serenity came out and had me wondering – wow… what the fuck happened there? That may just go to show you that when Knight is good he’s really, really good and when he’s bad he’s unforgivably bad, but thankfully, for at least 75-80% of Locked Down, we’re again reminded of how good he is as a writer when he’s on his A-game.
I mean, keep in mind, he also wrote Dirty Pretty Things and Eastern Promises, so Locke was definitely no fluke.
Liman and Knight together is an interesting combination to say the least, but one that proves to be effective. The COVID setting may not be fresh, and while it’s certainly a plot device here, it never feels gimmicky, as the backdrop is very much germane to the characters and their development. As opposed to his other films, Liman opts for a more understated directorial approach. His trademark energy and snappiness may be MIA here, and maybe the film would have benefited from some of that. Nevertheless, it’s the two central characters that are the primary focus, and Liman and Knight provide great attention and patience to Paxton and Linda’s relationship, which unfolds naturally as they sort through the ever-increasing strain of being stuck with each other through means that are out of their control.
Locked Down is at its best when it’s dialed-in on the dynamic chemistry between Chiwetel Ejiofor and Anne Hathaway. Both are in top form here and chew through Knight’s vibrantly expressive dialogue with great relish, effortlessly keeping our attentions magnetized through their electric, oftentimes stress-induced back-and-forths. Hathaway, who was woefully wasted in Knight’s aforementioned Serenity, serves up a strong reminder of the talent she possesses and can display when utilized properly, highlighted by a magnificent, twitchy monologue about corporate talk and why she got back into smoking as she describes her first cigarette in a while like it’s rapturous experience. The always charismatic Ejiofor delivers an equally winning performance that is refreshingly against type for him. Normally known for his commanding, dignified presence and Shakespearean gravitas, Paxton is quite the opposite, with Ejiofor channeling a quirkier, more rattled persona that would make you swear it was ripped straight out of a Woody Allen film.
Fidgety and anxious or commanding and forceful, either way, I’d listen to Ejiofor read even IKEA instructions with great fervor and panache.
Though most of the film is pretty much the Hathaway/Ejiofor show, we are treated to a handful of fun extended cameos by Ben Stiller, Mindy Kaling, Stephen Merchant and Ben Kingsley. In particular, Kingsley, going full Sexy Beast mode here, owns his few moments of screen time in hilarious fashion, and shares with Ejiofor what is arguably the film’s funniest moment where Paxton learns that the fake ID his boss gave him is Edgar Allan Poe, of which Kingsley’s Solomon is totally oblivious to why a name such as that might present a problem. This ultimately progresses into a great recurring bit where Ejiofor is repeatedly baffled by how many others seem to not know who the legendary author is.
The Bad: The third-act, when the heist is going down, is where the film begins to lose a little bit of its sizzle. Avoiding all strategic mechanics typically found in heist films, Paxton and Linda’s big steal just kinda happens and that’s that, playing out more like an afterthought than a cleverly-plotted scheme.
Of course, that may be by design on Liman and Knight’s part, considering that the drive and pulse of this film really isn’t the heist at all, but Paxton and Linda’s relationship. Still, and you can thank the film’s marketing for this, I can’t help but think that many watching this film expecting something akin to Ocean’s Eleven or Liman’s Go will be very much disappointed, when they shouldn’t be. The final act may not be up to par with the rest of the film, but it’s hardly a deal breaker.
The Ugly: I don’t really know what kind of hands across America bull shit you all were trying to do with this whole banging pots and pans thing you’d do at at night, but thank God it stopped.
Consensus: While not as electric and snappy as some of Doug Liman’s better offerings, Locked Down still benefits from a witty, character-centered script by Steven Knight and a great cast led by two engaging performances from Chiwetel Ejiofor and Anne Hathaway.
Silver Screen Fanatic’s Verdict: I give Locked Down a B+ (★★★).
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