Netflix’s Worth – A Performance-Led Procedural Drama (Early Review)

The events of September 11th, 2001 were a tragedy resulting in the loss of thousands of lives and have changed the world as we know it forever but many may not know of some of the work done behind the scenes that followed. Based on a true story, Worth, which premiered at last year’s Sundance Film Festival, may hold even more significance based on the general time period it will be released (which may or may not be coincidental). Dropping on Netflix just over a week before the 20th anniversary of the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attack, the film is sure to tap into those same emotions as it revisits the human cost, both physically and emotionally, as a result of the attack on those who directly or indirectly suffered from it. Not an investigation of the attacks themselves, that human element was nevertheless a strong one that will be easy to connect to despite being admittedly heavy at times. However, what ties it all together is a group of spectacular performances led by Michael Keaton.

Worth is based on the true story of a famed lawyer and mediator named Kenneth Feinberg (Keaton) and his work leading the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund. He and his partner Camille Biros (Ryan) have worked together performing similar duties but this particular task was an undertaking was understandably something on a much higher scale than anything they have ever done before. Assessing the worth of the countless lives lost in order to help their grieving families and loves ones, the usually objective and analytical lawyers needed to look beyond their numbers and formulas to see a complex situation that required more nuance and empathy. Meanwhile, the pressure was on Feinberg and his team to get enough people on board before a 2+ year deadline that protected the airline industry from facing lawsuits with the potential to shudder the industry and the American economy as a whole while also testing the resolve of litigants who were not guaranteed to win their cases.

As a film, Worth was mostly procedural in the way it went about its business which made it on the predictable side, however, watching these lawyers on the frontlines hearing the stories and connecting with those who were essentially left behind wasn’t always easy. Despite things getting tough at times, it did not make it any less powerful. Balancing what was right according to a set of rules and formulas with what was just for these people proved to be a challenge against the overwhelming emotion of these stories. While it was easy for most of them to succumb to that emotion and become emotionally invested in these people, Feinberg ultimately needed to learn to look past the rules and formulas that he has depended on for the majority of his career and connect to people for whom it wasn’t as much about money but rather the want to be treated with dignity and respect. The answer was somehow finding a balance between the two. Though the already fortunate were likely going to be fine, the majority of the victims were not as fortunate therefore their families merely worried about getting shafted once again.

Framing the character arc of Feinberg was two cases for viewers to connect to on a deeper level including that of a widow of a firefighter who lost his life in the World Trade Centre named Karen Abate (Laura Benanti) and a man named Charles Wolf (Tucci) who since having lost his wife in the World Trade Centre, became an organizer within the community of 9/11 victims and a foil to Feinberg. Now a single mother of three, Abate struggled to take care of her family while grieving her husband for whom she still loved deeply. For whatever reason, Feinberg felt connected to her and her story. Wolf however, served as an ideological counterbalance to Feinberg and a major critic of his methodology. With the ability to rally others to his side unlike Feinberg and his team, he proved to be a thorn in their side. Though the outcome, without knowing the story which the film is based, was still a predictable one, the Feinberg and Wolf scenes were epic for not only the script but the stellar performances from Keaton and Tucci.

The performances as a whole were the best part of Worth as they make a standard type of film much more worthwhile (pun intended). Keaton delivers some of his best work as Feinberg, bringing some unmistakably Boston energy and was an absolute force as the well-intentioned yet flawed lawyer. Showing range, he opened up as a character as the character opened his eyes and truly saw what was in front of him in what was a compelling arc. Tucci stood toe-to-toe as Wolf, a man who was clearly in pain but chose to use that energy to fight for what he believed in. More of the people person in the relationship, Ryan’s Biros made for an interesting dynamic as she was the viewer as she connected to the victim’s stories in an impactful way thanks to her subtly-nuanced performance. Benanti as Abate was a scene-stealer as a grieving woman wearing her pain all over her face.

In the end, Worth is simply worth it.

still courtesy of Netflix

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.

Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.