LWL Review Draft - Michael McGroarty

Here is my first draft review in the style of LWL.

The apocalypse has always been a bleak landscape; everything from Mad Max to Stalker has had a raging undertone of human loss, despair and hatred. An operatic distortion of our reality that is simultaneously vile yet absorbing. Wide plains of the silent promise of loneliness that stretches into our minds. It accentuates human nature so it's desperate plight for survival and safety is so shocking it grounds us as we watch.

Bearing this in mind; the tears, cruel eyes and soulless faces, we come to Lock In. The most curious part of the film is that it lets us know exactly what has happened, without the painful obviousness of the traditional nuclear bomb explosion or the withered trees and streets of yesteryear. It opens with a collection of eerie shots - grimy walls, a hatch that represents the pitiful hope of escape, juxtaposed with with the impossible insanity of facing an unknown threat. Ultimately, that is the logic the characters dare not transpire. Trapped in their makeshift dungeon, pleading with themselves to leave. In the end, such bold courage does not appear, and the fear of the unknown is mulled over by the only two characters, Harry and James.

The two are brothers, and they are accompanied by Lucy, their young sister, who remains an unseen and polarised figure to them. The fear stems from their father leaving, looking for survivors. We are not given a glimpse of his uncertain situation, although we are not offered hope in the slightest. The main part of the film lies in the heart of the conversation the brothers have. At times painfully disparate and brutally melancholic, the characters have an air of ebbing frustration eating away at them every time the other retorts. We can tell they are worn down by their circumstances; never more so than the violent physicality of James, who's coiled viper act contrasts with an earlier, lost rambling child pantomime. In contrast, Harry is a level-headed, stable character, although his mental flaws are exploited by his very longing for the truth.

It is here, that we, the audience, become torn. We feel the torment of their isolation, yet we urge them to step outside with a grand panache. We can't help but think that there both a little cowardly. Obviously in the absence of their father they have had to play an ever-burgeoning role of the father to Lucy, but it is also clear that she is as much a responsibility as an excuse.

Their increasing vicinity to each others natures is enhanced by the stillness of the camera. The framing is compact, nothing is left to waste. While you could say the cameras statue like quality is a let-down, its lack of kineticism perfectly mirrors the obliterating depression and solitude in the cellar they dwell within. The table is lit by a single candle, and while this shining beacon could be perceived as a ray of hope, it's more a constant reminder of the brighter days. The lighting itself is contentious. While the drab, low-key lighting schematic works to emphasise the dreary setting and mindset, one can't help but feel a little underwhelmed by its plainness. However, producing a stylised, chiaroscuro lighting would have downplayed the foulness of the whole piece; the construct of male fear and cowardice, the constant surreptitious hopelessness or the volatile nature of the human being.

Anticipation: an unknown quantity. First time directors collaborate. 2
Enjoyment: as good an expression of the gradual loss of soul as any. 4
In Retrospect: not a conversation starter, but still an emotional glass tank. 3

Word Count = 598

Posted by Michael McGroarty