Cinema Scholars gets the scoop on the new crime thriller The Locksmith from director Nicolas Harvard and star Ryan Phillippe. The pair discuss their collaboration, working with screen greats, and the pros and cons of shooting in New Mexico. Screen Media will be releasing The Locksmith in theaters and On Demand on February 4, 2023.
Introduction
With such savvy audiences today, many films are derided for being too formulaic. Filmgoers have come to expect a certain level of shock and awe from their entertainment. When the plot points and character development follow the recipe too closely, the result can feel annoyingly predictable. Yet, year after year, some of the most successful movies follow the same basic tried and true patterns.
These filmmakers use the well-worn frameworks and tropes we’ve grown to love to tell a fresh yet somehow familiar story. Just the right balance of old and new, and bingo, a movie clicks regardless of shock value or predictability. In Nicolas Harvard’s feature debut, The Locksmith, the director stays in the comfort zone with an age-old tale of misjudgment and redemption that veers just enough to keep you guessing.
Synopsis
Miller Graham (Ryan Phillippe) is an everyday locksmith. An everyday locksmith who made the mistake of working with a dirty cop on a heist-gone-wrong. After ten years in prison, away from his ex-fiancé and a daughter he doesn’t know, Miller is released early for good behavior. Now, he must rebuild the life he left behind.
Luckily, Miller’s old boss Frank (Ving Rhames) is at the ready, supporting his former protege with a place to stay and a job. When players from Miller’s past exploits re-emerge causing bumps in his road to redemption, Miller must figure out how to make amends without losing the ground he’s gained with his loved ones.
Discussion
You’ve seen this story before. The well-intentioned crook, who puts it all on the line for one big payoff. The jaded ex, who’s fiercely protective of their young daughter. The dirty cop in cahoots with the local over-the-top crime boss. The loyal old-timer who waxes philosophical about life and love. The mysterious (and incessantly smoking) femme fatale who throws a wrench into the whole system. Even with all these typical hallmarks, The Locksmith is a solid crime thriller with some serious noir tendencies.
Leaning into these tropes, Harvard tells a simple and intriguing story of loyalty and integrity despite any cliches. Other than some brief obligatory explanation peppered throughout The Locksmith, the film wastes no time with character development or lengthy backstory. Who is this Miller Graham? Is he really a thief with a heart of gold, or is there more to his story? Unfortunately, we just have to trust that the antagonist is one of the good guys who got caught up in some bad business.
The quick pacing of the film also leaves little time to question some of the odd reasoning throughout. Each character takes their turn with a narrative leap that seems ill-advised. Then again, stories about people making all the perfect decisions would be neither entertaining nor realistic, would it? Nevertheless, Harvard keeps The Locksmith firmly on the rails by sticking to the basic recipe and adding some unique flourish.
One prime example of a notable divergence from the blueprint comes from the refreshing depiction of Miller’s ex, Beth (Kate Bosworth). No damsel in distress here as the badass momma has not only prevailed, she has risen up the ranks as a local detective. The usual vulnerability of such a character is turned on its head with Beth’s able confidence. Her character’s uniqueness offers the story a layer of complexity and intrigue that is often lost in these gritty tales. This and other variations on the theme in The Locksmith keep the story fresh but familiar.
An overall bleak tone prevails as Harvard and cinematographer Jeff Bierman utilize a noir-ish palate. Shadows and darkness contrasted with the dusty days of the small desert town accentuate the hopeless feel of a community with law enforcement on the take. Composer Marlana Sheetz brings a big-budget feel to The Locksmith with a dynamic score. Throughout the film various cues flow along seamlessly with the narrative, noticeably heightening each scene.
Performances
For many of us, Ryan Phillippe made his star turn in the late 90s by mastering snobbish swagger. Yet his filmography reveals a career full of grittier character work. His skill with the latter shines in The Locksmith. As a sort of Everyman dealing with the consequences of a terrible choice, Phillippe keeps Miller mostly at a tentative slow simmer. When things get crazy, however, the actor readily conveys his conflicted character’s desperation to make things right. Even as his loyalty gets the best of him, Philippe’s take on the redeemed man makes that leap believable.
As Beth, Kate Bosworth gives stability to The Locksmith in both the intrigue and love story departments. The actress’ command of her character’s dilemma translates into a greater appreciation for what’s at stake, not only for Miller. As Beth’s no-nonsense demeanor (somewhat quickly) shifts into more amiable territory with her ex, the complexities of the situation are not lost on Bosworth, who exudes the apprehension of a mom in such a predicament. Additionally, Bosworth handles the procedural aspects of the story like a seasoned cinematic gumshoe, adding the only real backbone to the whole affair.
Notable supporting performances are the icing on the cake in The Locksmith. It’s a delight to see Ving Rhames play nice as Miller’s heartwarming ride-or-die. Gabriela Quezada shines as the scheming femme fatale. And Jeffrey Nordling perfectly channels the best/worst kind of over-the-top villain as dirty cop Ian Zwick.
While The Locksmith doesn’t feature a ton of actual lock-picking, the special skill set does come into play in a few key sequences. Yet another departure from total cliche, further confirming that Harvard has taken a proven recipe and made it his own.
Cinema Scholars’ Rebecca Elliott recently had the opportunity to talk with director Nicolas Harvard as well as leading man Ryan Phillippe.
Interview
Rebecca Elliott:
Hello! Thanks for joining me today, you guys.
Ryan Phillippe:
Thanks for having us. Thanks for talking to us.
Rebecca Elliott:
Super excited about The Locksmith. Such a solid crime thriller. Nicholas, you’ve produced before I see. But this is your first feature to direct. What inspired you to make the leap to directing, and how did the project come together?
Nicolas Harvard:
Well, it’s certainly been an aspiration of mine to work in the film industry for as long as I have. And I’ve worked very closely with some incredible directors over several years. So I was introduced to some producers that were looking to make some low-budget crime thrillers. And one script out of all the ones I read, this one popped out. This was years and years ago now. And it became a pretty classic story of development. Writing and rewriting and getting it to a point that it would be ready to take it out and shop it to the town. And then luckily it caught Ryan’s eye, it caught Kate’s eye and then the cast filled in from there. Then all of a sudden it was like, “Oh wow, we got to do this.”
Rebecca Elliott:
Bingo!
Nicolas Harvard:
And it got very busy.
Rebecca Elliott:
I bet. And Ryan, of course, I want to know, how did you come to this project? What drew you to this particular role and working with Nicholas?
Ryan Phillippe:
I liked the bones of the script. And I liked the simplicity. It felt like a throwback, like a ’70s movie. There was some kind of focus in that regard. I like the redemptive aspects of the character that he was a guy who was trying to right some wrongs of his past. But like Nick was saying, it’s so hard to get any film made. Getting any small film made is such a fight. It’s such a battle that it’s so gratifying when one turns out like this. And the fact that we got the cast that we did to tell this story. A lot of it for me when I first read it was, I enjoyed talking to Nick, but I wasn’t sure yet what he was going to do.
But I believed in him. And believed that I could be an asset to him in some regard. Because I’ve done this 30 years and this is probably my 40th movie or whatever. But really for me, I was like, “If we cast this right, we can tell this story.” And then Nick and our casting director did a phenomenal job that way because I think there are so many fun performances in this movie that make it what it is.
Rebecca Elliott:
Absolutely. And I agree with the simplicity of it. That’s one of the things that I really liked about it because it’s kind of your basic crime thriller drama, but then you veer just enough to keep it new and exciting. Did you learn any actual lock-smithing or pick-locking during any of this process?
Ryan Phillippe:
I did learn how to pick some locks. I went and spent time with a husband and wife, a couple that owned the number one locksmith shop in the area of New Mexico we were shooting. And I had some dinners with them. And then I also got these practice locks. They’re clear, and they look just like a regular padlock, but you can see through the plastics so you can see what you’re doing. And that was a great way for me to learn. It also became something I just did to pass the time when I was learning my lines and things. And it gave me a different connection to this guy and the way he might think. And so I can pick a simple lock now for sure.
Rebecca Elliott:
That’s really cool. I guess that’s true too because there are so many intricacies that go into picking a lock that might give you some insight into the character even more. And Nicholas, how about you? Did you have that couple on set as consultants just to make sure that you were making sure everything checks out and looks legit? Were you really concerned with that, or how did that work out for you?
Nicolas Harvard:
We were very concerned with that because to this day I still haven’t picked a lock. So I wasn’t the one who was going to know if it was being done right. So they came by. They would tag team and come in and out on the days that had more intensive lock-picking stuff. And of course, our props department also learned quite a bit and they were there to help. So we were definitely trying to be true to the craft.
Rebecca Elliott:
That’s super cool!
Ryan Phillippe:
They were so sweet because they had never been on a set before. They were wide-eyed and shocked by how many people…People are always shocked by the amount of crew there is to make a movie. And ours was even small because we’re a smaller film! Still, people are impressed by how many different jobs there are on a set.
Rebecca Elliott:
For sure. Oh, that’s such a fun story. I love that. You mentioned shooting in New Mexico. I saw Las Cruces. You probably shot there for practical reasons I’m guessing since New Mexico is New Hollywood now. But I like how the dusty terrain kind of added, I don’t know, it felt like sort of a new neo-noir to me. Something about the dusty terrain added to it. Nicolas, can you talk about shooting in Las Cruces, and whether or not you leaned into that New Mexico vibe?
Nicolas Harvard:
The script was originally written for central California and at one point it had a coastal aspect to it. And when we really got to the nuts and bolts of the budget and all that, New Mexico and the tax incentive was a no-brainer. But either way, we were looking for that kind of neo-western vibe, which arguably, New Mexico is better at. And so once we got there, I scouted basically the whole state. I landed in Albuquerque, went up past Santa Fe to Espanola, and then went down to Las Cruces. And the great part of Las Cruces, because a lot of people go to Albuquerque, that’s where the crew is. You can get a lot of stuff done there.
But the story we were trying to tell was about a very small town. And so Las Cruces has about 100,000 people. It’s much easier to tell a small-town story in a medium-sized town because you have the small-town aspects. But you also have multiple versions of things that you can pick from to create your kind of 20,000-person town. Which is what we were trying to show. So Las Cruces ended up being the best of all worlds. You got that dusty border town vibe with a lot more support for the 70-person crew. So it ended up being the perfect spot for us.
Rebecca Elliott:
And I guess, Ryan, for you maybe, I don’t know if it makes a difference being in the smaller town environment, getting into your character, or if that’s a detriment. I don’t know. Can you talk about shooting way out in the middle of New Mexico and how that worked for your performance?
Ryan Phillippe:
I think it certainly helps to be in the type of place where the story is meant to take place. I’ve worked a lot in New Mexico. I’ve worked in a lot of random small towns throughout the country and in Europe. And when you’re the lead in a project, where you’re at is relatively immaterial because it’s an around-the-clock job. When you get home from that 14-hour day, you got to study for the next day. And it’s really just about eating, sleeping, cleaning yourself, and going back to work.
So I tend to be fine with wherever the location is when I have a lead role because I’m just working all the time, similar to a director. But I also do appreciate when there are not as many distractions, honestly. I think sometimes you can work in a place where it’s easy to not pay as much attention to the work because there’s this or that going on. You don’t have that problem in Las Cruces. You’re not missing out on that.
Rebecca Elliott:
I know you guys didn’t have any hand in writing, but I love that the Kate Bosworth character is this confident woman. I feel like so many times in these crime thrillers, the significant other is just there, but they’re not really an active part of the narrative. So I love that she actually has a pivotal role in the plot. And Nicholas, was there any honing of that character with Kate? What did your collaboration look like? And Ryan, what was your experience working with Kate as well?
Nicolas Harvard:
It really did come at the writing stage. This was an older script. It was pretty male-centric for a long time and a little bit outdated in that way. And it took several drafts and several writers, frankly, they’re all very talented people. But for us to get there not only to tell a more modern story but also to acknowledge the importance of these characters. And certainly, when we had Kate attached, she and I talked about it. But the role still wasn’t there. We were rewriting until we shot to really flesh out what this best version of this character was going to be. And ultimately, I’m really happy with where it went. I wish I had another half hour to tell more of the actual sleuthing tale of hers, but it’s quite a process.
Ryan Phillippe:
And also this was pretty collaborative. We did contribute, Nick and me, and Kate, from a writing standpoint too. Just ideas and there was some improv. It was a mixed bag. The story certainly had its framework, but it went through a lot of changes, and Nick was really open to that collaboration. I think it makes it more authentic for the actors and the characters.
Nicolas Harvard:
Ryan and I and Kate, we all were attached to the family aspect of the story which could easily have been eclipsed by just the straight plot. And so once we got to our shooting draft and we were in production, it was really like, how can we steer into the family aspect of this to make it more than just gritty crime thriller and make it more of a drama as well?
Rebecca Elliott:
Right. It really worked. Ryan, you mentioned a 30-year career, which is amazing, and pretty prolific. And of course Nicholas, you’re just getting your feet wet, with directing at least. My fellow Cinema Scholar, Hugh Feinberg, wanted to know from you, Ryan, what was it like on your very first feature, Crimson Tide, working with so many greats. Tony Scott directing. Denzel and fricking Gene Hackman? Plus a who’s who of other notable actors. What was that like cutting your teeth at such a young age on a film like that? And for you, Nicolas, what was the first Ryan Phillippe movie that you ever remember seeing?
Ryan Phillippe:
The Crimson Tide experience was crazy because I was 19 years old. I had done a couple of things, thank God. First of all, I had very little to do on Crimson Tide, which that’s probably for the best. I was so in awe. The first day I walked on set was the climactic scene between Denzel and Gene Hackman at the controls of the submarine when they were butting heads. Because I was brought in for re-shoots on Crimson Tide. So they were re-shooting. They wanted them to have a scene where they really almost came to blows. And so I walk in on set and I’m watching these two actors who are two of my heroes.
And it was very absurdly, out of body, in some ways for a 19-year-old actor to be able to step on a set like that. It was my first time on a set that size- where the submarine is on a gimbal, so you kind of get a sense of all of these effects and that kind of thing. So it’s something I’ll never forget. And then during the few days that I worked on Crimson Tide, I booked one of the leads in White Squall, which was Ridley Scott’s movie that I did with Jeff Bridges. So that was kind of crazy. I’m on one brother’s set, and I just booked the film of the other brother. It was pretty cool.
Rebecca Elliott:
What a trip. And Nicholas, what movie do you first remember seeing Ryan in? It’s just kind of a random question.
Nicolas Harvard:
No, it’s a good question. It was White Squall. I grew up as a kid sailor, so White Squall was the first movie that I felt was made for me. It was the sailing movie, so I think I saw it in theaters two or three times, however old I was. I think I must have been 13, 14. And I go back to a lot of Ridley Scott movies, but White Squall is definitely one of my favorites.
Ryan Phillippe:
It’s so funny. The other day we did a reunion podcast on David Lasher and Christine Taylor’s podcast about the ’90s or whatever. And so we did a reunion and Jeff Bridges came on and Scott Wolf, and Balthazar Getty, and Jeremy Sisto, and Ethan Embry, and…
Rebecca Elliott:
All my ’90s people! I love it.
Ryan Phillippe:
And Bridges came on for a good solid 25 minutes and was telling great stories and it was cool. It was good to see him. And it was fun.
Rebecca Elliott:
I definitely have to give that a listen, for sure. Well, I think I’ve hit my limit here, you guys. But I want to thank you so much for joining me today to chat about The Locksmith. Have a great day.
Ryan Phillippe:
Nice talking to you.
Nicolas Harvard:
Thanks very much, Rebecca.
Screen Media will be releasing The Locksmith in theaters and On Demand on February 4, 2023.
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