''What a Man'' is a 2011

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Matthias Schweighöfer Matthias Schweighöfer (; born 11 March 1981) is a German actor, voice actor, film director, and producer. Early life Born in Anklam, Western Pomerania, Schweighöfer attended Berlin's renowned acting school Ernst Busch Academy of Dramatic Art ...

. It was well received by German critics and also a success at the box office. It received US$17.3 million at the box office

Plot

30-year-old elementary school teacher Alex discovers that his girlfriend Carolin has an affair with their neighbour, photographer Jens, and is forced to move out of their shared flat. He moves in with his friend, animal welfare activist Nele who has a long-distance-relationship with her French boyfriend Etienne who lives in China. Alex tries to find out why his relationship with Carolin failed and what actually constitutes a man. Meanwhile he and Nele who were in love with each other since primary school fall in love again.

Cast

as Alexander *

Sibel Kekilli Sibel Kekilli (born 16 June 1980) is a German actress. She gained public attention after starring in the 2004 film '' Head-On''. She won two Lolas, the most prestigious German film awards, for her performances in ''Head-On'' and ''When We Leave ...

as Nele *

Elyas M'Barek Elyas M'Barek (born 29 May 1982) is an Austrian actor based in Germany. He gained recognition for his roles in the comedy television series ''Türkisch für Anfänger'' and the 2013 comedy film ''Fack ju Göhte.'' Early life M'Barek was born ...

as Okke *

Mavie Hörbiger Mavie Hörbiger (born 14 November 1979 in Munich) is a German-Austrian actress. Since 2009, she belongs to the ensemble of Vienna's Burgtheater. Life and work Hörbiger descends from a famous Austrian family of actors and actresses, all at lea ...

as Carolin * Milan Peschel as Volker *

Thomas Kretschmann Thomas Kretschmann (; born 8 September 1962) is a German actor who has appeared in many European and American films. His notable roles include Lieutenant Hans von Witzland in '' Stalingrad'' (1993), Hauptmann Wilm Hosenfeld in '' The Pianist'' ( ...

as Jens * Lilay Huser as Okke's Grandma * Nora Jokhosha as Laura *

Theresa Underberg Kira-Theresa Underberg (born May 6, 1985 in Hamburg, West Germany) is a German actress and radio play talker. Since 1994, she speaks for some popular radio plays. In 1999, she took over the voice of ''Anne'' in the German radio play version of En ...

as Stine * Joel Federico Laczlò Wüstenberg as Alexander's student * Gitta Schweighöfer as Ms. Schlupp * Friedrich Mücke as Doctor * Katharina Schüttler as Mrs. at Checkin * Pasquale Aleardi as Etienne *

Nora Tschirner Nora Marie Tschirner (born 12 June 1981) is a German film actress, musician and former television and radio presenter. Early life Nora Tschirner was born in East Berlin (then East Germany) to the documentary film director and the radio journa ...

Lady in the Panda-Costume * Paul Alhäuser * Andreas Nowak * Patrick Sass as Barkeeper

Reception in the United States

Aaron Coleman of '' Backstage'' found "copying its American counterparts" made the film "warmly endearing".
Farran Smith Nehme of the ''

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...

'' felt the plot was predictable and added "even the

camera work ''Camera Work'' was a quarterly photographic journal published by Alfred Stieglitz from 1903 to 1917. It presented high-quality photogravures by some of the most important photographers in the world, with the goal to establish photography as a ...

is predictable".
Calhoun Kersten of ''www.filmmonthly.com'' called this film "so disarmingly charming that its faults don't stop it from being an incredibly enjoyable film", no matter whether "you feel like you’ve seen it all before".
Frank Scheck of ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...

'' judged that despite "its slavish adherence to familiar genre conventions" the film provided "reasonably fun viewing" because of its "off-kilter humor" and the "chemistry exhibited by Schweighofer and Kekilli".
Sandrine Sahakians of ''www.filmequals.com'' recommended the film to "anyone looking to put a smile on their faces".
Andy Webster of the ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' conceded ''What a Man'' possibly quoted some well-known patterns but added "its sureness of tone" made Schweighöfer "a talent to watch".

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:What a Man 2011 films 2010s German-language films 2011 directorial debut films 2011 romantic comedy films German romantic comedy films Films directed by Matthias Schweighöfer Films set in Frankfurt 2010s German films