Worth (2020)
“I have nothing against you, Ken. I want you to know that.” – Charles Wolf.
Worth (2020)
Directed by: Sara Colangelo
Written by: Max Borenstein
Starring: Michael Keaton, Stanley Tucci, Amy Ryan, Tate Donovan
Initially released in 2020 at Sundance, Worth then got buried amidst the COVID crisis until it was given a broader release on Netflix only a few days ago. And is the latest September 11 biopic worth watching? In short…yes. The film works as both a courtroom drama and a touching look at a tragic historical event, but it still has a few problems.
The film concentrates on the arbitration and compensation for the families of those that lost loved ones during the September 11 attacks. The government is lobbied by the airlines to intervene, after they claim that they (and consequently the entire American economy) will collapse if sued by 80% of the affected families. Ken Feinberg (Keaton), an attorney, volunteers to help guide this process, and thus begins the difficult task of assigning a dollar value to each of the victims lost.
At its heart, Worth is an ethical study, analysing the dichotomy between human emotion during tragedy and the seemingly heartless operation of large organisations. The main storyline focuses on the government’s insistence that, unless 80% of the victims families accept the remuneration offered, the entire economy will collapse. As such, it prompts an internal struggle within the viewer – the logical reaction is “big companies are horrible, the loss of lives is much more important than a bit of money,” but more rational logic dictates that the choice that benefits the ‘greater good’ is likely the right one.
Now, without knowing too much about the plot, I was worried that this was going to be some more lazy patriotism propaganda, with bad dialogue and a lazy story relying on the name value of a major tragedy to attract an audience. But…I was pleasantly surprised. It’s a pretty good legal drama, with writer Max Borenstein harnessing the humanity and tragedy to capture an important event. As a general rule, I like legal dramas. However, I’m not a lawyer, so I’m reliant on simple explanations from the characters. Worth happened to nail these, with a number of ‘planning montages’, and Ken presented as a man who says exactly what he’s thinking.
The actual representation of 9/11 itself is also done quite tastefully. There is a core group of characters who represent the victims, and so the loss and anger of the city is presented through their eyes. And having to relive their experiences through interviews and dialogue genuinely makes you consider how anyone could possibly put a dollar value on the life of a loved one. Stanley Tucci is incredible as Charles Wolf, a widower who (respectfully) forms an opposition movement highlighting the unfairness of the remuneration system. I also thought presenting Ken as the main protagonist was a brilliant idea. As the viewer, you feel sorry for everyone affected by the tragedy, but when these people start directing their anger at him, you soon realise that 9/11 affected far more than those who lost loved ones.
However, the movie didn’t completely win me over. It was still trying a little bit too hard to emphasise the sadness these victims were feeling, to the point that the last half an hour felt like more of a Hallmark TV-movie than a big-budget production. By the 3rd or 4th montage of another random person telling an extremely sad story, I’d had enough. WE KNOW, GUYS, IT WAS EXTREMELY SAD. WE’RE NOT STUPID. WE GET IT. These scenes stole time away from any scene with Keaton or Tucci, and anytime those two weren’t on the screen it was very noticeable. I still think it was a good film, and as Max Borenstein is more known for his big action movie writing (the latest Godzilla movies, an upcoming Game of Thrones spinoff), this was clearly a decent first attempt to transition into a different genre, but the movie would have been much for engaging if it was 20 minutes shorter.
Overall, I’ve seen far worse historical films, so I’m happy to recommend this. It does try too hard at times to reiterate what we already know about 9/11 (it was an extremely sad and impactful event), and the emphasis on tragedy does feel a little bit condescending by the 5th montage of a random character crying, but the acting is good, the writing is fine, and the final package is a respectful but entertaining story about September 11.
Rating: 6.5/10
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