The Measure of a Man

Iconic French actor Vincent Lindon stars in an understated yet moving social drama that explores the degrading process of being unemployed and living off meagre state benefits.

Lindon’s performance, with which he won the Best Actor Award at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2015, is stunningly poignant as he is subjected to the humiliation of pointless job interviews and slow-moving bureaucracy.

Acclaimed director Stéphane Brizé adds to the film’s realism with his ensemble cast of non-professional actors, who together depict the economically marginalised.

Lindon’s greatest achievement is his successful realisation of the struggle for dignity in a world where a job not only pays, it costs. (CB)

★★★★

BY CAITLIN BURNS