74
Metascore
19 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 91The PlaylistJessica KiangThe PlaylistJessica KiangLindon'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.
- 88Slant MagazineChuck BowenSlant MagazineChuck BowenIt 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.”
- 88New York PostFarran Smith NehmeNew York PostFarran Smith NehmeFrench 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.
- 83IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichBrizé ("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.
- 80VarietyScott FoundasVarietyScott FoundasBrize (“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.
- 75The A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloThe A.V. ClubMike D'AngeloBrizé 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.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerThe Hollywood ReporterJordan MintzerHighlighted 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.
- 70The New YorkerRichard BrodyThe New YorkerRichard BrodyMost 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.
- 60CineVueJohn BleasdaleCineVueJohn BleasdaleThe 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.
- 40The GuardianJordan HoffmanThe GuardianJordan HoffmanThe 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.