The Measure of a Man
Kino Lorber | Release Date: April 15, 2016 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
74
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
3
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
RogerEbert.comPeter SobczynskiApr 15, 2016
The Measure of a Man may be a hard film to watch at times, but with Lindon's great performance at its center, it is one from which you cannot look away. Read full review
91
The PlaylistJessica KiangJul 13, 2015
Lindon's performance is so perfectly judged, so inspiring of an avalanche of sympathy and empathy without ever seeking it out, that we are on Thierry's side immediately, feeling every slight and every instance of condescension perhaps even more strongly than he does himself. Read full review
88
New York PostFarran Smith NehmeApr 14, 2016
French director Stéphane Brizé films in lingering takes, with Lindon in almost every shot, and the actor is wonderful, able to convey Thierry’s conflict even when his back is to the camera. Read full review
88
Slant MagazineChuck BowenSep 30, 2015
It exhibits the spry subtlety of Jean and Luc Dardenne's films, and, consequently, it's possible that it will be similarly mistaken for a work of “naturalism.” Read full review
83
IndieWireDavid EhrlichApr 13, 2016
Brizé ("Mademoiselle Chambon") is a humanist, not an economist, and his modest but moving new film is a welcome reminder that — for someone who can't afford to put food on the table or provide a proper education for their child— business is always personal. Read full review
80
EmpirePatrick PetersJun 6, 2016
Uncompromisingly authentic, impeccably played and quietly compelling. Read full review
80
Time Out LondonGeoff AndrewMay 31, 2016
At once compassionate, engrossing from start to finish, and utterly relevant. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesRobert AbeleMay 19, 2016
Sensitively handled yet unafraid to elicit squirming, and boasting a seriously affecting turn by Lindon — who won last year’s Cannes award for Best Actor — it’s a miniature portrait of quotidian desperation that nevertheless speaks to the collective psychic moan of job-seekers and those barely holding on everywhere. Read full review
80
Village VoiceAlan ScherstuhlApr 14, 2016
A feat of workplace naturalism. Read full review
80
VarietyScott FoundasMay 23, 2015
Brize (“Mademoiselle Chambon”) makes compelling drama out of the most ordinary of circumstances, and draws a lead performance from frequent collaborator Vincent Lindon that is a veritable master class in understated humanism. Read full review
75
The Seattle TimesMoira MacdonaldJul 26, 2016
It’s a small film that touches on large issues: the world of work, and how it defines us. You leave it feeling you’ve met someone, and wishing him well. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Nathalie AtkinsonApr 14, 2016
The Measure of a Man is about one of those everyday people who lose their livelihood and are at risk of losing everything else, and on this small scale and rather ordinary canvas the human drama is keenly felt. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloApr 14, 2016
Brizé doesn’t have the Dardennes’ gift for narrative complexity, and he stacks the deck against his hero more than is really necessary.... But The Measure Of A Man’s beating heart is Lindon’s performance. Read full review
70
The New York TimesManohla DargisApr 14, 2016
Mr. Lindon’s physically reserved, inward turn as Thierry (wrinkled brow, downcast eyes) dovetails with Mr. Brizé’s restrained realism. Read full review
70
The New YorkerRichard BrodyApr 13, 2016
Most of Lindon’s fellow-actors are nonprofessionals who do their real-life jobs onscreen, and the intrinsic fascination of their performances—and of the world of work itself—opens exotic speculative vistas. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerMay 23, 2015
Highlighted by an all-consuming lead performance from Lindon – surrounded here by an excellent cast of non-pros – this third collaboration strays further into Dardennes Bros. territory than previous efforts, although its depiction of an Average Joe scraping by in contemporary France features its own unique voice. Read full review
60
CineVueJohn BleasdaleMay 23, 2015
The Measure of a Man is solid social document that offers insight into quiet lives lived by those who don't give in - despite every good reason - to desperation. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleJun 2, 2016
The movie makes a point, but it doesn’t build on it. And so the movie becomes as dull and depressing for us as it must be for the central character. Read full review
40
The GuardianJordan HoffmanOct 2, 2015
The Measure of a Man’s decision to keep its conflicts so microscopic in the service of realism is a real problem. Put bluntly, Brize’s touch is so light that it’s immeasurable. Read full review
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