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Reviews
Working Man (2019)
A Masterclass in Narrative Pacing
Robert Drury's Working Man is an ode to the resilience, dedication, and determination of American workers to find purpose, community, and pride in the ties that bind them - their work, our work. The movie's thematic resonance to today, a moment when essential workers' often overlooked contributions to our daily life and macro-survival are coming to the forefront of cultural conversation, is undeniable. Drury has assembled a beautiful cast, headed by Peter Gerety as the resplendently laconic Allery, Talia Shire as his multi-valently dutiful wife Iola, and Billy Brown as the spellbindingly troubled Walter. Drury, as writer and director, has calibrated the narrative pacing of this film perfectly to seduce audiences into thinking they are in for one type of narrative, then gracefully yet arrestingly negating those expectations for an ending that is by turns tragic, affirming, and emotionally fulfilling.