The influence of Ken Loach’s humanism and naturalistic approach is evident in The Measure of a Man, Stéphane Brizé’s empathetic portrait of a man stripped of his dignity along with his job. Vincent Lindon’s careworn, hangdog face has never been better used as Thierry, a former factory worker who finds himself forced into the demeaning circus of job-seeking and the day-to-day struggle to make ends meet. It’s a potent performance; impassive on the surface, Lindon reveals the weight of despair in the dragging steps, the bowed shoulders, even the droop of his character’s moustache. With a similar central arc, the film works as a subtly compelling companion piece to the Dardenne brothers’ Two Days, One Night.
