'Worth' Review: Michael Keaton's solid performance anchors drama about tragedy, money
The 2014 movie ‘Birdman’ changed everything for Michael Keaton and brought him back into the circle of Hollywood's elite actors. Since then, he has been a part of several projects that brought further fame. The actor is once again ready to enthrall the audiences with his upcoming movie ‘Worth’.
The movie is based on a true story and revolves around renowned attorney Kenneth Feinberg (Michael Keaton), who has been appointed to lead the Victim Compensation Fund for those who lost their lives in the deadly terror attack on the USA on September 11, 2001. Several planes crashed into the World Trade Centre buildings and killed 2,996 people while more than 6,000 people were injured.
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But how would they calculate the cost of living? And will a family ever be to come out of the trauma of losing their loved one? These are the two things that the movie primarily focuses on. However, it also shows there is a human side behind a bureaucratic procedure about the creation of a fund to pay the families who lost their close ones during 9/11.
The movie starts with an introduction of our main protagonist Kenneth (Keaton) getting ready for work and we get an idea of how immersed he always is in his work. For leisure, he plugs in his earphones and listens to opera. The next day, while going to work on the train, he sees a huge amount of smoke coming in from the twin towers and we get a glimpse of real footage from the fateful day that changed America forever. Eleven days after the attack, the government calls Kenneth for a meeting with the owners of various airlines. The motive of the meeting is to draft a way in which September 11th Victim Compensation Fund could come into effect. However, there is a lot of conflict about one thing: from where should the money come? Some people from the government feel that it should come from the airlines. However, airlines feel that if they gave the compensations, they will be bankrupt and they are also being threatened by a lot of civil lawsuits from the family of the victims.
The biggest problem is that no one knows how many victims are there. So, the amount going into the fund is still a big question mark. On the other hand, social activist Charles Wolf (Stanley Tucci) is mourning the death of his wife, who died during the 9/11 attacks, and is taking things forward because he feels that the calculations done by Feinberg are bogus.
The best thing about the movie is when Feinberg is in the court and tries to tell that this certain amount will be suitable for the families, but they all reject it. That’s when he realizes that it won’t be an easy task for him. The movie focuses on a variety of characters like people who are rich and believe that they are worth more than the others be it first responders or Wolf, trying to get a decent enough amount for the families of the victims. As the movie progress, we get to know that every person has an individual story to tell and it is virtually impossible to determine their worth.
The most important aspect of the film is that despite the powerful and emotional subject matter, it never slips into the territory of a melodrama. Director Sara Colangelo did not go overboard in showing extreme reactions from the families who have just lost their loved ones. Rather, she decided to play it cool. Another striking thing about the movie is that the director has used mute compositions to show drama and characters in solitary conditions. But whenever she used a wide shot, you get an idea of how difficult it is for Feinberg to bring justice to so many people that are counting on him.
As far as acting is concerned, Michael Keaton is at the top of his game. He has done a splendid job in giving us an idea of how the real Kenneth Feinberg must have felt while being on the case. Keaton’s mannerisms and the way he develops a friendship with Wolf, learning about the aspect of human life is a treat to watch. Keaton’s career graph went above once again after the 2014 movie ‘Birdman’ and his performance in ‘Worth’ is undoubtedly one of his best performances ever.
Meanwhile, Tucci has once again shown why he is one of the finest talents in the industry right now. He is riveting as Wolf and the scenes where he is head-to-head with Keaton and discussing the fund are surely going to make you applaud him. Another genius performance from an actor who is highly underrated. Lauren Benanti as Karen Abate, a firefighter’s widow has done an extraordinary job in showing the fears of how the money will be distributed. Amy Ryan does good work as Feinberg’s second in command.
As far as the movie is concerned, it does not shy away from showing us that some people will suffer and the plan will fail some as well. This is why the movie is so important to see. It doesn’t show us that everything is fine from the instant and takes us through a journey that finally finds its destination at the end.
‘Worth’ should be seen by everyone and it is really good to know that Netflix has acquired the rights to the movie. Now, it will reach a lot of people. It might be too tough to watch in some scenes, but it is a reminder of what people went through after such a gigantic tragedy hit them.
‘Worth’ will be premiering exclusively on Netflix on Friday, September 3.