A Somewhat Gentle Man

Though the characters and certain situations are funny with their dry Scandinavian humor, in the end A Somewhat Gentle Man is an easy-to-forget film with an overused plot and none of the poetic overlap (both in terms of its content and form) that makes similar stories special, such as those by Kaurismäki. (02/05/2018)

A Somewhat Gentle Man turned out as a mix of genres definitely better than In Order of Disappearance, partly because Stellan Skarsgard works here as the main character much more convincingly, even though he deliberately suppresses his acting range and simply represents a redneck who doesn't want much from life and just survives. The plot is not particularly attractive and it essentially doesn't work as a crime film, but as a quirky comedy about an aging guy without life prospects, it's fine. The sex scenes, devoid of any romance and attractiveness, are fascinating. It's simply a mechanical activity performed as if in passing. If you show this to adolescents, they will lose any interest in sexual experiments for a long time. Overall impression: 70%. (05/13/2016)

I’d not watched any Scandinavian sound films, and then I saw A Somewhat Gentle Man. I indulged in a pre-premiere experience, which was very stimulating, and I went on a unique trip through Norway with Stellan Skarsgård. It was unique in that rather than the story, I paid more attention to the realities, which I compared with those of the Czech Republic. I was reminded of something from folk comedies of any provenance thanks to the frequent repetition of the same crude gags, but I was surprised that it could be done in the context of a more intelligent whole. Still, I'm not so overwhelmed by the new that I'm going to go down the path of seeing more "chilling humor and all sorts of characters." (04/22/2010)

Absolutely typical Nordic cold and depressing comedy starring the awesome Skarsgård, (05/13/2010)

The Norwegian filmmakers had quite a bit of fun with this one. I enjoy these essentially minimalist movies with such subtle humor that you almost pick it up subliminally. I won't hide the fact that I'm not fond of criminals, but there was something oddly likable about the murderer Ulrik to me. The truth is, his life of freedom was almost indistinguishable from serving a sentence (his apartment was only slightly messier than a cell). Stellan Skarsgard's portrayal of the not-so-talkative Ulrik was brilliant, and the rest of the cast didn't hold back either. If it had been just a tad more bizarre, I might have given it five stars. / Lesson learned: Don't speak like a machine gun, it could be too much for the heart. (05/23/2022)

Stellan Skarsgård is so filthy irresistible in the film, just like the entire conception and setting where the film takes place. His character's life is pretty boring, you probably wouldn't want to live it, but you can still see that he's actually happy because he doesn't want much. Just a job so he can have money and live. He succeeds at that. And a little more on top. (11/09/2016)