User reviews

Ah, the new movie starring Gerard Butler, the poor man's Clive Owen, always up for some good all-American entertainment that makes you think but also makes you smile. This one's about a headhunter whose life revolves around closing deals in survival-of-the-fittest boiler room. He battles his top rival for control of the company, but then his oldest child falls seriously ill. Also starring, Gretchen Mol as the loving but ever-suffering wife, Willem Dafoe as the ruthless boss, Alison Brie as the rival and Alfred Molina as the token solid supporting male character. First and foremost, „A Family Man" is a genre movie, which means it's produced and put together of clichés in hope of finding a suitable mainstream audience. The approach is pretty solid one, using several drama subgenres in order to appeal to wider circle of cinema-goers, including sick child story, a middle class American success story, finding yourself again story and some „Wall Street" type high-octane competence porn. The execution is actually pretty solid too. The able cast are doing their darndest best to act through all the material, and there's a lot of it. 108 minute movie may feel quite a bit longer, at least for those who have seen way too many movies to take all these clichés and workmanlike storytelling seriously. On the other hand, those who still watch movies as just a nice way of passing time, or aren't tired of bland dramas made of middle- class dreams and aspirations, can definitely find some entertainment here. They don't even have to think how to feel because the movie manipulates you in all the right directions at the right time. I am taking a wild guess that "A Family Man" is most suitable for girlish audience, but it will also surely feel in the right place when it's 2 am and you're desperately trying to find something new to watch with Butler starring in it. He's a doing a fine job too, the whole result relies on his manly charm and grunting. All in all, there's nothing wrong with „A Family Man". It's just there's nothing terribly exciting either, with the creative bar set relatively low and all. I hope I didn't sound too ironic here or something, I quite liked the movie for what it is.

This film tells the story of a successful headhunter, who puts his career first and family second. The unexpected illness of his son makes him re-evaluate his priorities and decisions in his life.

I find this film unexpectedly good. Both Gerard Butler and Gretchen Mol are very good in their roles as heartbroken parents. In addition, Gerard Butler delivers the intensity of a ruthless career man who is charismatic on the outside, but not as beautiful in the inside. The plot is captivating and touching. I really enjoyed watching it.

Magic stirs men's blood. Sunlight streams down on father and son with closed eyes and outstretched arms in downtown Chicago, and their spirits surge. Corporate headhunter Dane Jensen, the father in this scene, needs such magic. Equal parts charming and ruthless, Dane is on the verge of taking over the company that employs him. At the same time, his young son Ryan is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Channeling some inner darkness of lies and deceptions has always provided Dane with an edge against competitors inside as well as outside the company, yet that is not what his family needs now. In fact, they've never needed it. No one does. If Dane ever realizes this, it may come too late.

This well written and touching film explores what it means to be a family provider. It takes heart as much as strength, and empathy as much as confidence. The excellent script is written by a former headhunter; it takes one to know one. The film is full of delightful twists and turns, and it goes to unexpected and fascinating places. Part of the magic that stirs Dane's blood, for example, comes from seeing the city and life through the wonder filled eyes of Ryan. The cast, including Gerard Butler as Dane and Willem Dafoe as Dane's boss, is wonderful.

I had no idea what it was about do I kept waiting for someone to get kidnapped but this is not the typical GB action flick. His kid gets sick and he learns some lessons. Good performances. Half a hanky.

Awesome....This family drama have lot of moment's to cross check our daily life.

Writer Bill Dubuque and Director Mark Williams have created a tender, sensitive family story that is well developed and addresses many of the issues we all face. A brilliant cast delivers the goods with style and empathy - and Chicago has never been so beautifully captured photographically as cinematographer Shelly Johnson has accomplished. The musical score is by the always-reliable Mark Isham.

As the boss (Willem Dafoe) of a Chicago-based headhunter, Dane Jensen (Gerard Butler), who works at the Blackridge Recruiting agency arranging jobs for engineers, prepares to retire, Jensen vies to achieve his longtime goal of taking over the company going head-to-head with his ambitious rival, Lynn Vogel (Alison Brie). Factors intervene: Dane's close friend Lou (Alfred Molina) is unemployed and desperate for work, Dane's wife Elise (Gretchen Mol) is concerned Dane is not spending time with his family, and Dane's 10-year-old son, Ryan (Max Jenkins), is suddenly diagnosed with Acute Lymphatic Leukemia by the doctor Singh (Anupam Kher) and his professional priorities at work and personal priorities at home begin to clash with one another. Dane spends quality time with Ryan by touring the beautiful architectural wonders of Chicago and Ryan's wise observations set Dane on a new path. Dane finds a job for Lou (at Dane's expense of giving up a headhunter's fee for a friend), and Dane and Elise grow closer. Dane is pulled between achieving his professional dream and supporting his wife and son, who need him now more than ever.

Much of the success of the film is attributable to the fine performance by Gerard Butler, but he is enhanced by the performances of the entire cast. A very 'feel good' movie, perfect to restore faith in humankind just when we need it the most.

I thought this movie was well made although overly melodramatic for sure. Gerard Butler was ok. My favorite part was Alfred Molina. Also enjoyed the Chicago architecture scenes.

A Family Man tells the story of Dane Jensen (Butler), a headhunter who is proficient at his job, and will sink to all lows to be the best at it. He balances that with a home life, which he maybe isn't home for enough, but is putting in the time to make ends meet for his family.

His whole world is thrown for a loop when his eldest child is found to have a terminal disease. The story follows an extremely predictable path of redemption.

The disappointing aspect of the movie is in what could have been. Butler gives a solid performance as the main character, and Alfred Molina, Willem Defoe, Gretchen Mol, and Alison Brie are all equally up the task. However, the script does such a good job painting Butler's character as ruthless that when it wants to redeem him, all you can do is ask: Really? Similarly Defoe's and Molina's arcs betray they characters.

It really is a shame, because the actors deserved better,

Living so busy in life and very limited for family, this movie reminds us that job and money should,t be the priority in our life. The family are what really matters in our real life and we should give time to the family before its late. acting, writing, romance, music, score, and camera, work is excellent and everyone should watch the movie to learn this important lesson before it late for us.

I never got around to seeing this movie. I'm seeing it now and it's- eh.

Some of the more emotional parts of the script seem a little forced, despite the great acting. I think the written dialogue is a bit old for the age of the children, kids don't speak that way.

Definitely, not a wasted 105 minutes, but not the best you'll ever spend.

The story line was very predictable and the acting was just about watchable. People living the dog eat dog world of money and consumerism who plan or have a family should watch this.This move is a must watch for the content not the music or acting. Gerard Butler aka "The Headhunter" performance deserves 5/10 for confirming the greed of the headhunting business.

A correct film not only for acting, storytelling, twist and atmosphere but for the science to remind significant things. A direct and honest way to propose the fair suggestion when, so often, the family life is in balance with profesional suces and, at first sigh, all seems very, very simple. A good story and the perfect cast.

7.1/10 (Recommend)

Perhaps it's what I have going on in my own life. Perhaps it's what I've seen in the lives of others. Whatever it is this movie made me bawl my eyes for a good chunk of it. I was much more emotional than I expected. This isn't the happy, sarcastic movie I thought it was going to be. It's deeply emotional and reminds us that there's limited time on this earth. We never know when things could change and we shouldn't let work dictate our entire lives. We need to make time for those we love and those who love us.

The acting is more powerful than I could've hoped for. Everyone draws you into this dramatic and emotional story. You feel for the family in both the good and hard times. Though the ending isn't what would be expected it still gives you a glimmer of hope in this world. That things can change and there's always hope to start anew.

I know not everyone will feel as tied to this as I have, but it is definitely worth the time. If I had known how I would react to this film I wouldn't have watched it so late, but I'm glad to have checked it out.

That's all for now. Thank you for taking the time to read my review. Until next time.... Enjoy the show!

Everyone of these characters has depth and is very well textured.

There really wasn't a minor character. There were extras of course but the small selection of characters each had at least two scenes showing 2 different traits that added richness to themselves and to what they had to offer to the primary story line.

Even among the films available to fans of the 2016 festival this one stands out.

A better example of character building I have not seen at this festival. Every film maker has something to learn from watching this film.

So very well done - thank you.

I had seen some early reviews from professional critics for A Family Man (The Headhunter's Calling) and they seemed exceptionally harsh, but after seeing the film for myself, I would have to say they were actually being too kind. The writing is extremely weak, tedious, and formulaic. It was sad to see Gerard Butler buried beneath its lackluster and generic weight. While some critics do miss the mark in their reviews, I would have to agree with their early assessment on this one.

No, no, no! I'm not buying Gerard Butler as an American, or as a Recruiter. He overacted in this one, and his attempt at sounding American was silly. Just let him be an Australian. I'm bored with the over-the-top "alpha" sales guy routine in movies. It's such a cliché. At least have someone do it with nuance. Meanwhile I also didn't buy a marriage between the Butler character and Gretchen Mol's wife.

The makers touched all the bases. They used a Sikh Indian doctor to dispense Eastern wisdom, a young African American male nurse to share empathy, and a wise, precocious boy to root for. But like most Hollywood movies, they didn't want to have any Western religion or wisdom taint the story.

Butler's lead character and Willem Dafoe's supporting character as boss were cartoonish. There was some decent dialog, including some from the wife character about parenting and the need to be there for your family.

Overall, they made an earnest attempt to highlight the "What goes around comes around" philosophy, and the "Pay it forward" concept. I'll give them credit or wanting to encourage a decent value.

But I hope they weren't suggesting that all successful people cut corners and live amoral work lives. I suppose not, because a female competitor at Butler's office seems to have succeeded while being relatively honest.

Well, the acting was poor, the plot telegraphed, the message cliched, but it could have been worse.

People are not entirely good or entirely bad, this is a model movie that portrays a man doing the right thing in the wrong way. On one hand he is trying to provide for his family and climb up the ranks but on the other hand he does morally wrong things and neglects his family in the process. He is a man we can relate to and in this movie we become invested in him neither hating him nor loving him but sympathizing with him.

Something unexpected happens and our investment becomes even heightened, we cry, laugh and cry all over again. You see happiness, sadness and pure life in this movie - well acted. It is also nice to see marriage portrayed in all it's ups and downs without adding too much drama other than that of unexpected life.

I loved this movie and would recommend it!

"Cancer is not a negotiation, Mr. Jensen."

In "Olympus has fallen" and "London has fallen" Gerard Butler took care of the president of America and fought against a whole battalion of terrorists. In "A family man" Dane Jensen (Gerard Butler) has to fight other demons. On the one hand there's his hectic and energy-hungry job as headhunter. A job he lives for and that keeps him occupied for at least 70 hours a week without exception. And on the other hand there's his charming wife Elise (Gretchen Mol), his son Ryan (Max Jenkins) and daughter Lauren (Julia Butters). A warm family that never lacks anything thanks to Dane's efforts. On a materialistic level that is. Because each and every one of them craves for the presence of a husband and a father figure. Dane may be physically present but in reality he's always busy with his work. This results in displeasure and frustration. Dan always acts like a businessman. When Ryan seems to gain weight, he reacts pragmatically. He just gets up at an inhuman hour to go jogging with his son.

The psychological pressure increases when Dane's boss Ed Blackridge (Willem Dafoe) announces that he's thinking of a well-deserved retirement and passes on his position to the person who can present the best annual figures. You don't have to be a Nostradamus to predict what effect this has on Dan. And then it turns out that Ryan's overweight is not because of playing "Assassin's creed" for hours while enjoying loads of snacks. It's a swollen spleen due to a severe form of leukemia that causes his waistline to increase. Most viewers (including myself) will start rolling their eyes and shake their heads. Not again another sentimental story with that horrible disease as a central theme and the inner conflict certain people will feel. In this case it's Dan who has to find the right balance between his competitive job and the welfare of his son. And he comes to the realization that no compromises can be made or illegal tricks can be used in such a way that the aggravation of the disease can be avoided.

The message is crystal clear after a while. The whole karma and "What goes around comes around" principle is really emphatically emphasized. It's all about that moment when you realize that you shouldn't take everything for granted and you start realizing what's really important in life. I wouldn't be surprised if Dan decided to convert to the monotheistic religion of the Sikhs and move to India to live there as righteous Punjab. The transformation from unscrupulous, senseless workaholic into an insightful family man whose priorities suddenly changed completely, was enormously predictable. But despite that predictability and cheesiness, I couldn't resist to look at the rest of this über-emotional tearjerker.

In terms of content it was perhaps very syrupy sweet and not very original. But in terms of interpretation I can only respect Gerard Butler whose acting-past is richly filled with action-rich roles where an elaborated character wasn't really required. As King Leonidas in "300" and Mike Banning in "London / Olympus has fallen" he only had to be fearless, ruthless and determined. So no complex feelings and character traits. The implausible wasn't due to his acting performance, but due to a reasonably weak script. The most eye-catching and praiseworthy acting is for Max Jenkins who, despite his young age, delivers an admirable performance. Ryan was portrayed realistically by this young boy. The rest of the cast took care of the no less important roles, but they weren't not so explicitly in the spotlight. Gretchen Mol as the disgruntled wife (but on the other hand she was in a privileged position thanks to the well-payed job of her husband). Alison Brie, the ravishing rival of Dan. Willem Dafoe as the single, tyrannical CEO whose life was only focused on making loads of money. And Alfred Molino in a modest role as an unemployed engineer at age, who only serves as a toy in Dan's head hunter's game.

I am not a hypersensitive type or over-sentimental, but when a drama with this kind of subject doesn't not touch me or moves me, then something is wrong. Either it's totally unbelievable or it's so predictable. I'm afraid the movie just follows a well-known path without deviating, so that it has little interesting to offer. Towards the end, I said to my wife: "If that little boy wakes up now, I'll eat my shoe." Never knew that shoe soles were so chewy.

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As one who's seen the corporate sales game up close, each of the principals here are badly miscast. I can't say who is the worst between Butler and Dafoe, both miss by miles. This tainted the rest of the movie for me. The family scenes were passable though even there Butler and Gretchen Mol were not ideal for these roles. The children were great. Excellent performance by Maxwell Jenkins as the son.