The Measure of a Man

After losing his job, Thierry Taugourdeau finds himself having to learn new skills that have no relevance to market demand. And so begins a formidable struggle to keep his family afloat. After banging on the doors of potential employers and bank managers alike, Taugourdeau finally lands a job as a security guard with a large supermarket. But here, too, he is faced with a tough moral choice: should he or shouldn’t he collude with the intimidation and precarization policies enforced in the name of justice?

Lindon, who picked up best actor award at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, is joined by a cast of amateur actors in the film, which draws a human drama out of the monotonous scenes of day-to-day life. Following in the footsteps of directors such as the Dardennes brothers and Mike Leigh, Stéphane Brizé does not, however, give up hope. With an original French title that translates literally as ‘The Law of the Market’, Measure of a Man is a soul-searching exploration of issues by-passed by a good number of films.