The Measure of a Man concerns the struggles of Thierry (Vincent Landon, superb) who has been unemployed for over a year after being made redundant from his previous job. With his savings dwindling, his benefits due to be cut and a disabled son to support, he does all he can to find another job and turn his life around. When he eventually gains employment as store security guard, he finds himself having to confront people as desperate as he was.
The film that most sprang to mind when watching this was Two Days One Night. It has the same social realism and the same feeling of one person’s quiet desperation. I think that fans of that film will find much in The Measure of a Man, though others may have their patience tested by it.
I am in the former camp. I admit that it contains some scenes that go on too long, such as the mobile home sale or dance lessons, though the latter help underlines the close relationship that Thierry has with his wife (Karine de Mirbeck). But overall, I found director Stéphane Brizé’s technique of a just showing a small number of long scenes gave the film a resonance that it might not have otherwise had. The ending is beautifully understated and a couple of days after seeing it, I am finding it lingering in my memory.
Rating: 8 out of 10