Vincent Lindon deservedly scooped Best Actor at Cannes for his moving portrayal of a middle-aged man grappling with unemployment whilst trying to maintain his self-respect and integrity.
Thierry (Lindon), a principled middle-aged man, has been unemployed for over a year. He doesn’t want to rely on state handouts like many of his former co-workers, instead preferring to continue looking for work, so that he can provide for his family honestly.
After a lengthy and often humiliating search, he finally gets a security job at a local supermarket. But Thierry finds himself constantly struggling to negotiate between his conscience and the demands of his new position.
Similar in tone to recent Dardenne brothers’ films, Stéphane Brizé’s low-key but powerful social drama hinges on Lindon’s quiet yet emotionally gripping performance; the rest of the cast are non-professionals which adds a further layer of naturalism and poignancy.
tough and compassionate – The Guardian ★★★★
It may be a hard film to watch at times, but with Lindon’s great performance at its center, it is one from which you cannot look away. – Roger Ebert.com ★★★★
France, 2015 | Language: French |93 minutes | Cert: TBC
Director: Stéphane Brizé
