The Measure Of A Man (Stéphane Brizé). Subtitled. 88 minutes. Opens Friday (April 15). See Listing. Rating: NNN
The Measure Of A Man hits one dour note after another in scenes that are both impeccably crafted and unbearable.
Vincent Lindon gives a quiet and soul-crushing performance as Thierry, a middle-aged former factory worker struggling to find employment after being downsized. His fruitless meetings with counsellors, a banker and a prospective employer over Skype are shot in single takes that last uncomfortably long, so we can see how slowly hope gives way to humiliation.
Tackling the same dehumanizing economy the Dardennes dealt with in Two Days, One Night, director Stéphane Brizé is far more schematic, leaving little room for any emotion -except despair.
Things only get worse when Thierry lands a job as a security guard at a big box store. He’s tasked with spying on customers and fellow employees, ultimately having to dish out the same -humiliation he endured earlier. These scenes get a little too oppressive and left me valuing the Dardennes’ grace notes more than ever.
