The Hundred Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared

I didn’t mind that I didn’t read the book because the Swedes’ movie adaptation is a total gem. The Hundred-Year-Old Man is a story so incredibly funny that you simply can’t be bored watching it. It’s divided into two story lines; the past where the Old Man goes through his entire life and then the present which begins when the Old Man climbs out a window and disappears. In both cases, I can’t think of a crazier story and I believe that everyone would be smitten by this movie. It’s craziness on top of even more craziness, it’s a never-ending fun that keeps on going strong. I often thought of a Forest Gump comparison. But certainly not because the Old Man is stupid, not at all. It’s because he sails through life with such levity that I can’t help but envy him. A really beautiful movie. It made me happy, it was fun and it definitely lifted my spirits. (08/15/2014)

In the mid-90s, Robert Zemeckis came up with the idea of satirizing the famous American life optimism and love for happy endings in movies and combined them with the concept of classic tales about "stupid John" (you can adapt the name to whomever because similar motifs are universal), who, despite his passivity and minimal abilities, found happiness through good deeds. Forrest Gump was born - a simpleton who navigates through modern history without a scratch, leaving his mark everywhere and unknowingly influencing key events in American history. The Swedes decided to adapt a similar story to their own and based it on the best-selling novel by Jonas Jonasson. That film had romantic sentiment, and unfulfilled love, accompanied by the handsome face of Tom Hanks. The hero of the Swedish comedy is a sprightly old man to whom women never mattered much in life because he found the greatest excitement in explosives. The Swedish hero is not a fool, just somewhat self-centered and stubborn, who simply does his own thing and now and then - actually quite often - influences world events and is the driving force behind key turns on the political chessboard of Europe. He celebrates his birthday by escaping from the retirement home and, incidentally (as always by mistake), decimating a criminal gang, gaining a few good friends, and a suitcase full of money. This absurd comedy uses traditional outrageous and very black Scandinavian humor, and even though I wouldn't consider it the pinnacle of the Scandinavian comedy genre, it is definitely worth seeing because it is bursting with originality, energy, and exaggeration. Overall impression: 75%. (05/22/2014)

I went to the cinema just wanting to have fun. This film absolutely delivered on that. I didn't expect anything from it, just that it would entertain me without putting me to sleep. I left happy and drained. Since I got exactly what I expected, I can't give it anything less than a full rating. And I haven't even read the book yet. EDIT: 10 Sep 2018 – now I have read the book, and I have to admit, I was more entertained by the movie. (06/17/2014)

I am influenced by the original and there is nothing that can be done, the film looks like the creators didn't even read the book. The poetry of the characters completely disappeared, they are hard to believe and that's why they are beautiful. The creators turn them into realistic characters and the plot loses its charm and, actually, also the tension. Adapting the plot is one thing, but I simply disliked this concept, it annoyed me and, most importantly, I didn't find it funny at all. (12/11/2014)

The irresistible Nordic humour strikes again with full intensity after a long time. Although the story, based in no small part on the Forrest Gump narrative model, is far crazier and lampoons several important 20th century characters in a style that makes the level of hyperbole seem limitless, everything from the dialogue to the development of the dim-witted protagonist comes across as completely natural, the humour is constantly surprising, and the script manages to combine the two storylines perfectly into a highly original and distinctive whole. Don't expect any deep ideas, moral lessons and let alone a believable portrayal of modern history, just laugh and relax over a film so crazy, but at the same time so beautiful and unique.... And then there’s the book :) 85% (06/28/2015)