Headhunter

Suitably intriguing story about cold fish Martin, star freelance headhunter, getting embroiled in risky business with troubled magnate N.F. Sieger and family.

Martin has family trouble of his own, his son being seriously ill. As everybody knows, families in this type of movie, exist only as leverage.

The photography is as cold as an industrialist heart. Dark, dismay and desolate, with sparks of redemption.

It's watchable in the original Danish with subtitles, since the dialogue is as sparse as luscious vegetation in Denmark during winter.

Martin Vinge is an accomplished recruiter of high-profile business talent, a man who thrives on corporate cut and thrust. Less successful as the estranged father of a seriously ill son, and carrying regret from his time as an investigative journalist and an incident involving a politician, he faces his biggest test yet when embroiled in the dynastic politics of a large shipping company.

Writer/director Rumie Hammerich invests this tale with Shakespearean gravitas. with Martin ostensibly in the employ of Lear-like elder Sieger, but menaced by his Iago-esque son Daniel. The chrome and steel surfaces of the offices shine and the Ikea domestic interiors are all hard edges, giving the film a David Fincher look while also heightening the cold, amoral shenanigans of the players. Martin's weak point is his son, and he plays a precarious balancing game in selling out to get his son the private medical care he needs, while simultaneously going after the truth of the story that his deep moral core compels him to uncover.

Lars Mikkelsen as Martin Vinge is brooding and conflicted. His one connection is journalist Nina (Charlotte Munck), unhappily married, compromised and flawed, as if to say Martin could only be attracted to a female version of himself. Except she is a decent parent. Mikkelsen's performance is perfect, always keeping things just below the surface so that we go along with Martin on his journey without ever truly getting to know why he embraces the contradictions of his undertaking so fully. There are some satisfying twists along the way, and moments of droll humour. Martin entering a room where only the women remain, and their synchronized pointing to the elevator, is a visual delight. In fact, the visual sheen of the whole film is rapturous, most reminiscent of Fincher's The Game.

This is a high quality thriller that exhibits judicious economy and steady pacing. It is the film Michael Clayton wanted to be. Mature, thoughtful filmmaking with a woody Scandinavian scent.

Quite enjoyable but the plot sags badly in places. Good cast and filming but wouldn't watch it again. Not in the same class as The Snowman the only other Nesbo based film I've seen

The trailer for this(which, I might add, does not give everything away) had me considering if it might be worth a trip to the theater, and I was not disappointed. Within the first few seconds, this marks itself as a sharply written, smart and subtle film, and while that was something I already knew we were capable of putting up on the big screen, it never hurts to see us doing it again. After a career in journalism, Martin Vinge has gone into headhunting, meaning, he researches to find the best candidate for important positions in companies, and he pursues it quite enthusiastically. The fact that he's very skillful at it gets him the attention of the massive, powerful and influential Sieger concern. He is assigned to find the aging director's successor... without the rest of management knowing about it. The plot is genuinely interesting, rather well-told, you don't lose track of any of what's going on at any point, in spite of it being plenty complex. It also develops well throughout, and the pacing is spot-on, I was engaged and emotionally involved from start to finish. There are nice, effective twists and a slowly growing sense of paranoia. The acting is excellent. Mikkelsen by no means needs to be in his brother's shadow, because his intense, underplayed and flawless performance in the lead is strong. You believe the attachment that he can't entirely admit to himself. Moritzen, Munck, Enevold and Harris are also impeccable. The child who portrayed Jakob was completely convincing, and we truly care about him. Every character is credible, and the fleshing out of them is satisfying. The humor is appropriate, clever, funny, doesn't try too hard and does not take over from the serious tone of the story. This builds suspense and tension expertly well, and it is exciting and cool, without going beyond what we "buy" with the typical amount of suspension of disbelief. The theme of father-son relationships is definitely clear throughout; it almost borders on being excessively mentioned, as the one place where this is a tad obvious, and doesn't rely solely on the art of suggestion. This is well-scored. The production value leaves nothing to be desired. Cinematography and editing are masterful. While Hammerich directed Unge Andersen, the only other thing I've seen of his, magnificently, as well, this is superior. Thank you, Rumle. You help raise the bar for our country's efforts in the medium. I recommend this to any fan of those who made it, and/or the thriller genre. 8/10

Very enjoyable film. Even better after checking that it wasn't based on Jo Nesbo's 'Headhunters.' As it bore no relation to the book 😁and was the reason I started watching.