The title of French filmmaker Stéphane Brizé’s latest film The Measure Of A Man is an apt one. What exactly will a man do in order to survive in this tough and trying world? In an idealistic world we do what we need to to make ends meet but hold onto our integrity and pride, never having to stoop to levels or means that we’d deem embarrassing or “lower than us.” These are the questions and themes that Brizé examines in his film, and in a very sobering manner.
Thierry (Vincent Lindon) is a hard worker struggling to make ends meet, a victim of the unforgiving economy, recently laid off from his job at a local factory. He’s been out of work for well over a year and the unemployment check isn’t cutting it in order to support his wife Katherine (Karine de Mirbeck) and his special needs son Mathieu (Matthieu Schaller). He’s struggling to pay for their daily needs as is, and with Mathieu’s college prospects just starting to line up, you can understand why Thierry is starting to feel like he’s slowly choking. His days spent at local training sessions at a local job center don’t help the situation, deeming him too old or lacking or having even too much of the necessary qualifications or experiences. There’s no end in sight.
Thierry is doing all the right things, but has nothing to show for it. He lands a job at a security at a giant supermarket, where he’s instructed to watch both the customers and even the stores own staff for stealing, a no win situation in which he’s always the bad guy. and finds himself going through some moral dilemmas that have him further questioning where exactly he is with his life.
We’ve all been a part of losing streaks and trying times, and in todays economy and world, the film sure does have a timely sense of arrival. Brizé lets it all unfold in a natural humane hands-free style that is almost like a fly on the wall, allowing us to come up with our own judgements and conclusions. There’s no doubt that Brizé’s picture will call to mind Two Days, One Night, last year’s terrific knockout from the Dardenne brothers, and it definitely has many similarities, such as the stunning lead performance that rests on the readymade soldiers of Lindon. He’s perfect for the role, sporting an everyday blue collar mans look. It’s not a showy performance, but one of subtlety and nuance, letting his weathered look and face remind us of our own parents when things become tight at home. Lindon took home the Best Actor award at the Cannes Film Festival, and it’s every bit deserved.
Like so many of the films of the 53rd annual New York Film Festival this year, The Measure Of A Man is a simple film rooted in natural human elements. But it’s the method that the story is told, and the rock steady central performances that hold it together, and connect to us in ways that remind us that we are all distinctly human, flaws and all.
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