The Measure of a Man (La loi du marché) (2016)
78%RT Audience Score: 60%
Awards & Nominations: 7 wins & 13 nominations
With The Measure of a Man, director/co-writer Stéphane Brizé uses one man’s heartrending story as a beautifully acted microcosm for life in the 21st-century global economy
The Measure of a Man” is a French drama that will make you feel like you’re living in poverty with the main character, Thierry. It’s a tough watch with little payoff, but that’s the point – it’s a melancholic portrayal of the soul-sucking compliance of capitalism. The lead actor, Vincent Lindon, gives a minimalist performance that perfectly captures the weight of despair in every step and even in the droop of his mustache. It’s a film that presents a sharp moral quandary that’s hard to shake, and it’s definitely worth a watch if you’re in the mood for something heavy.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Kino Lorber
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Boussy-Saint-Antoine, Essonne, France
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2016
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 31m
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Language(s):French
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Country of origin:France
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Apr 15, 2016 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 16, 2016
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Drama, French, Stéphane Brizé, Vincent Lindon, Karine De Mirbeck, Matthieu Schaller, Xavier Mathieu, Catherine Saint-Bonnet, Olivier Père, Olivier Gorce, 21st-century global economy, moral dilemma, poverty, unemployment, Kino Lorber, $112.1K, MPAA rating, reviewed by Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Moira MacDonald, Paul Byrnes, David Stratton, Patrick Peters, Wendy Ide, Mattie Lucas, Ellena Zellhuber-McMillan, Daniel Barnes, Steve Erickson, Philippa Hawker, directed by Stéphane Brizé, written by Stéphane Brizé, Olivier Gorce, produced by Olivier Père
Worldwide gross: $6,518,931
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $8,034,573
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,034
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 876,180
US/Canada gross: $112,391
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $138,522
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,607
US/Canada opening weekend: $10,011
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $12,339
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,660
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Yves Ory – le conseiller de Pôle Emploi
Karine De Mirbeck – la femme de Thierry
Matthieu Schaller – Matthieu
Xavier Mathieu – le collègue syndicaliste
Catherine Saint-Bonnet – la banquière
Director(s)
Stéphane Brizé
Writer(s)
Stéphane Brizé, Olivier Gorce, Stéphane Brizé, Olivier Gorce
Producer(s)
Olivier Père
Film Festivals
Cannes
Awards & Nominations
7 wins & 13 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (63) | Top Critics (31) | Fresh (58) | Rotten (5)
In scene after scene, Brizé exposes with an unrelenting focus the incessant scrutiny that those living in poverty like Thierry are placed under by those in positions of power above him.
August 25, 2018
Alexandra Heller-Nicholas
The Blue Lenses
TOP CRITIC
Stéphane Brizé’s “The Measure of a Man” feels so real, you’re almost startled when it’s over – it seems as if this French drama about a middle-aged husband and father facing unemployment should just go on, as life tends to do.
July 21, 2016 | Rating: 3/4
Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
No question, it is a fine performance. Lindon has a minimalist style, a shaggy dog look, and a barely suppressed working-stiff rage that gives the film some grit.
June 29, 2016 | Rating: 3/5
Paul Byrnes
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
The subject is one that will be familiar to working-class people all over the world, and is presented by Brize and his co-writer Olivier Gorce without a hint of compromise or sentimentality.
June 24, 2016 | Rating: 3.5/5
David Stratton
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
Uncompromisingly authentic, impeccably played and quietly compelling.
June 5, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
Patrick Peters
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
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.
June 5, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
Wendy Ide
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Presents us with an unassuming but surprisingly sharp moral quandary, a nagging question of honor that’s hard to shake.
June 5, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
A tough, melancholic watch with little to no payoff. But in that way it effectively communicates how it feels to be the main character.
April 22, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Ellena Zellhuber-McMillan
One Room With A View
Impotent resistance versus soul-sucking compliance in the bloody coliseum of capitalism.
April 5, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Daniel Barnes
Dare Daniel
To borrow a title and aesthetic from the Film Society of Lincoln Center, this may be a narrative feature, but it’s still the art of the real.
February 15, 2018
Steve Erickson
Gay City News
The accumulating power of The Measure of a Man is in its small details and undemonstrative approach.
October 14, 2017 | Rating: 4/55
Philippa Hawker
Australian Book Review
“The Measure of a Man” is a truly wonderful film.
September 15, 2017
Neely Swanson
Easy Reader (California)…
Plot
At the age of 51, Thierry faces a moral dilemma in his new job, exposing the incessant scrutiny placed on those living in poverty by those in positions of power above him in The Measure of a Man.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Vincent Lindon delivers a “fine performance” with a “minimalist style” and “barely suppressed working-stiff rage” in The Measure of a Man, according to critic Paul Byrnes.
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