Norwegian director Hans Petter Moland's "A Somewhat Gentle Man" is exactly the kind of film that makes you smile through tears and wonder if it's really possible to start life over.
What the film's about
At the story's center is Ulrik, brilliantly played by Stellan Skarsgård . After 12 years in prison for killing the man who slept with his wife, this middle-aged guy walks free. Sounds like your typical ex-con story, but Moland transforms this familiar setup into a nuanced psychological drama with dark comedy touches.
Ulrik tries fitting into normal life: gets work as a mechanic, rents a basement room from his boss's wife, attempts reconnecting with his son, who introduces him to his pregnant fiancée as an uncle. But the past won't let go – former criminal "colleagues" demand he "deal with" the person supposedly responsible for his arrest.
Source:
IMDb
Critics and audience reaction
The film earned surprisingly warm international critical reception. At the 60th Berlin International Film Festival, it was nominated for the Golden Bear, and in 2011 won the Norwegian Critics' Prize.Critics especially praised the lead performance:
On IMDb, the film holds a 6.9 rating, which is pretty solid for European arthouse.Stellan Skarsgård creates a character who simultaneously evokes sympathy and bewilderment. His Ulrik isn't your traditional "tough guy" – he's a tired middle-aged man who just wants peace.
Audiences appreciate the film's atmosphere – that legendary Scandinavian melancholy seeping through every frame. One IMDb reviewer wrote: The film is made to entertain, not illuminate some "boring" theme like many Norwegian films.
Many highlight the unusual comedic scenes, especially what one critic called "the three funniest love scenes in modern cinema history."
Why you should watch
"A Somewhat Gentle Man" isn't for everyone, but it's definitely for those who appreciate unhurried, thoughtful cinema with deeper meaning. This isn't a Hollywood revenge thriller – it's a meditation on second chances, on how hard it is to change your life when you're already past fifty.The visual storytelling deserves special mention. Gray Norwegian landscapes, dreary interiors, winter slush – all creating an atmosphere where small human joys feel especially precious.
Stellan Skarsgård, familiar to many from Hollywood blockbusters, shows a completely different side of his talent here. His Ulrik is an accidental anti-hero, someone who doesn't want to be bad but doesn't always know how to be good. This is a film for those who, zoomboola.com believes, are tired of predictable plots and want something real. It's a story about how it's never too late to become better, even when the whole world's against you. And it really is a comedy, in that special Scandinavian way – laughter and sadness walking hand in hand.
