“In a country where you are what you do, what happens to a worker who loses his job?   "Working Man," the first feature from writer/director Robert Jury spins that question into an intimate drama shot in greater Chicago, using the city's mostly defunct manufacturing base as atmospheric backdrop for the characters' fight for dignity.”

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“…this an impressive debut movie, revolving around the sorts of lower middle-class people rarely seen in American cinema anymore, told in a style that's just as much of a throwback. It gives veteran character actors a chance to shine, not just in lead roles but supporting parts and one-scene cameos written so thoughtfully that you can picture the character starring in a movie of their own.”

 

"Working Man" is the kind of movie that used to be common but that has largely vanished in the United States, along with the world it portrays. But this is less of a cry of rage or a depressed lament than a borderline fable, focusing on the spirit of people whose skills are no longer needed or appreciated in the new economy. Jury and his crew pay loving attention to the textures of small row houses, grimy machinery, and off-the-rack coats and work shirts and jeans, and the way bluish dawn light and deep orange streetlights etch city streets and tired faces.  As shot by Piero Basso and the father-daughter editing team of Richard and Morgan Halsey, the film is a throwback to 1970s working-class character portraits like "Norma Rae" and “Rocky” (which Richard Halsey edited), as well as an American answer to films by UK-based directors like Mike Leigh (“High Hopes”) and Ken Loach (“Sorry We Missed You”), though softer, and without the corrosive, despairing edge those filmmakers so often bring.”

 

“The score, by David Gonzalez, is just right for the story—a lot of it is built around repeating three- and eight-note melodies that have a sort of "factory rhythm"...”

 

“…there's a lot to like here, from the overall sensibility to the little details of costuming that tell you everything (such as Allery's lovingly weathered lunchpail and Walter's porkpie hat, which evokes the sorts of barrel-chested sad-sack dreamers that Burt Lancaster played once he passed 50) to the meaningful but never ostentatious framing of shots…”

 

“Most of all, it's a showcase for its actors, who seem energized by the opportunity to play characters who can't be neatly summarized. Gerety is a specialist in laid-back East Coast gravitas whose resume includes "The Wire," "Brotherhood," "Sneaky Pete" and "Ray Donovan." This might be a career-best performance, and it's almost entirely internal, expecting you to guess what the character is thinking and feeling based on how he looks at people, or looks away from them.”

 

“(Billy) Brown, a familiar face from TV's "Sons of Anarchy" and "How to Get Away with Murder," has a powerful physicality—he's built like a tank—but he uses his body delicately and precisely. This is a rare performance where the actor seems to have thought up a distinctive way for his character to do everything, even actions as basic as putting on a coat, sitting up from a weight bench, or lighting a cigarette. (Talia) Shire, another "Rocky" veteran, isn't just playing an older version of Adrian Balboa. There's a whole imagined history in the way that Iola looks at her husband as he sits sullenly across from her at the table, and she gets to play a scene with a friend late in the film about feeling lost in her own marriage that's devastating because it rings so true. The supporting cast is perfection; standouts include Ryan Hallahan, exuding entitlement as the appallingly young executive sent to put Allery in his place, and Patrese McClain, who has one short scene in a coffee shop so packed with emotion and character detail that it feels as substantial as other people's feature-length performances. She’s terrific.”

 

“This is a good movie with a big heart.” 

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