User reviews

The Jonas Jonasson novel "The Centenarian Who Climbed Out the Window and Vanished" has been a gigantic success in Sweden, selling more that 250.000 copies. A success that has spread to a lot of other countries as well. I read the book just days before I saw the world premiere on this, as I got the book as a x-mas gift, just two days before the premiere.

Well, to make a long story short, this is an unlikely black comedy in style of Forrest Gump, though darker and way more stupid, and filled with more stupid humans. Other films it's in class with here would be "Fargo", "One night at McCools", "Seven psychopaths" a.s.o. The book functions, and I'm glad to say that the narrative grips made on this as a script works as well. It's a good farce, which will give out many laughs. The two hours goes like it's one.

The 100 years old Allan runs away from his birthday party, and starts a story which only he could be behind. Inwise decisions gives severe results, and looking back on his own life, he's done it before. He's made both tragedy's as well as things leading to happier consequences. They have tried to lock him up more than once, but he's not the easiest to detain.

I enjoyed the film in a quite crowded cinema, which already started laughing at the first scene, and so i t went on. A mixed audience, with surprisingly many pensioners, which have read the book, will probably guarantee the film to be an even bigger success than the novel. At least, that's my guess.

Well, how well is the novel brought to the screen, then? Well, surprisingly well, I would say. The most boring parts of the book is when Allan thinks back, and this is narrated down, so that the story happening present is the main thing. That's a major thing in making this work. There's been some minor changes done to shorten the travel, which unfolds like some kind of a trip or road movie, if you like, just as the book.

The make up is brilliant, and way better than we've seen in Hollywood films (!). Amazing. Robert Gustafsson, playing Allan, is just turning 50, but here he looks perfect both in the twenties, the thirties and as 100 years old. (Well, maybe he looks eighty-something more than 100, but still it's quite passable.)

Some of the CGI isn't exactly brilliant. This I see much better in Norwegian movies. Especially all the explosions are bad, but it doesn't hurt the story, since it's far from believable anyway. The famous persons portrayed are also quite good. The casting is well done, also when it comes to the actors playing the younger Allan. What annoys extremely is the music, which not only is stupid and too "funny", it's also very high in the sound mix. This is the worst bit of the movie. There's also some goofs, like the frozen guy and a tank lid closing itself, while driving away, but still not very big issues.

So very well done, and the best Swedish comedy I've seen in many years. Thanks to a great staff, a quite large budget (63 millions SEK) and wonderful actors. (I'm sure it will play in the money!) The book is well taken care of, and if you enjoyed the movie, you'll find a lot more in the book, now with the clients you've seen here.

For anyone who has enjoyed the book, this film will be a hoot. There were changes - but there is too much in the book for a single film. So while it annoying to leap from Siberia to Paris (for example_ its understandable.

But, while it does not follow the story exactly, but it perfectly captures the atmosphere and style of the original story. The lead is perfect as Alan, and the rest of the cast fit together very neatly

Anyone who has not read the book will miss loads. Why does Benny almost qualify for various jobs, how did Herbert Einstein suddenly end up in Paris and a range of other questions are answered there. Characters, if based on just the film, lack depth, and things often happen with little real explanation.

So not perfect, but a very good attempt to film a complex story that successfully retains the humour of the original.

The type of humor that is used in this movie was so refreshing. I love dark comedies, and I love dark humor. I appreciated it even more because it was by no means a dark movie. It was incredible how they made such a lighthearted movie with such dark comedy. Think Secondhand Lions meets Forrest Gump, I know, it's worth it though. The main Character was so nonchalant it was endearing. His care free attitude was refreshing and easy to watch. The supporting cast is what really makes the movie for me though. I don't know who any of these actors are, but the casting Director did such a good job. They all melded so well together. They fed off each other's presence and they were able to share scenes extremely well with each other. It was very play-esque in that regard.

Having read some of the other reviews I will simply say, if you take this movie too seriously you've already lost the point. If you look for flaws you're bound to find them, however, it's such a fun movie. It's light, it's dark, and personally, just a funny movie.

This movie is extremely funny. From the moment the old man crawls out of the window until the very end of the movie, it is a stitch. It is fast paced and all the characters are well drawn and fleshed out, even characters that only appear near the end of the movie. I was reminded of Peter Seller's movie "Being There" and, yes, there was a bit of "Forrest Gump" in it. I did not object to the "violent" deaths that some of the characters experienced because they were so over the top that they could not be taken seriously and the audience apparently agreed with me since everyone was howling with laughter. We saw the movie at the Chicago Film Festival and it was one of the few times I have attended a film festival when the entire audience stood up and clapped at the end of the movie.

A centenarian in an elderly home decides to walk out moments they were about to host party for his 100th birthday.

On the surface, how eventful an event could this be? Well you would be surprised. He goes to the bus station and with the little money he had buys a one way ticket out of town. A stranger asks him to look out for his luggage and though he agreed he decided to steal it and little did he know that it was filled with money which made him a wanted man.

From then on, we follow this centenarian who tries to avoid the elderly home who sent for him, the gang who owned the stolen money as well as the police. His action plan: none! He took it a step at a time and the audience were treated to en ever ending hilarious situations all the way to the end.

Clever plot, well made in a way that actually made it somewhat believable (unlike the Hollywood tendency to go way over the top) this was an unexpected treat.

This film follows the progress of Allan Karlsson, a simple man with a predilection for blowing things up, after he leaves his nursing home to embark on a journey that will take him wherever it takes him. Through flashbacks we see that this is a metaphor for his entire life. Karlsson has, it turns out, been with several significant figures of the 20th century and, unwittingly, has profoundly affected its course.

The film is comic, darkly comic, absurdist, farcical, a chase caper, an espionage thriller and, finally, peaceful. It is all of these things successfully in a way that Wes Anderson's "The Grand Budapest Hotel" attempted to be, but didn't quite manage. More importantly, the characters are entirely believable despite the often fantastical story lines. It is also beautifully shot.

"Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans." — Allen Saunders

Thoroughly recommended.

An unexpectedly great movie. I wasn't anticipating much from this Swedish independent, but was laughing all the way through. Fast paced and written with wry deadpan humor.

The main character displays similar characteristics to Peter Sellers' Chauncey, in 'Being There'. Its also somewhat reminiscent of Arthur Penn's 70's classic 'Little Big Man' starring Dustin Hoffman in terms of the plot layout.

Whether these were intentional homages to personal favorites of mine is not clear, but they worked magnificently. Serious belly laughs as dry humor is dropped effortlessly into every scene.

It is such a refreshing change from all those polished Hollywood set pieces which have decreasingly appealing sequels.

Enjoy.

Rarely is a film this engaging, entertaining and unpredictable, in any language! The story, present and past, of Allan Karlsson grabs you from the start. It reminded me of Peter Sellers performance in Being There. In fact, all the performances worked, from the care home workers, dim-witted bikers, bored detective and world leaders.

I had no idea what to expect, only that it was Sweden's third biggest film after the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and the Girl that played with fire (also both excellent films, in very different ways).

I really should rate it a 10, as there is nothing to criticise about the film, except to say that it is clearly not The Godfather, nor intended to be. However, for what it is, it is brilliant.

If you like to be surprised and entertained, I cannot really think of anyone that wouldn't enjoy watching this. Find it. Watch it. Enjoy!

What do you get when you combine Forrest Gump style "travel the world, affect history" kind of storyline, add in a heap of dark adult humour and have the protagonist's main character trait to be that he likes to blow stuff up? In a word, this movie.

It's not as great as Forrest Gump. It's clearly imitating the latter, which is not a problem per se, but it causes us to draw comparisons. And while this film is a great deal of fun, the characters are not as nuanced and are there more for the sake of humour than story. It also doesn't have the depth and humanity, at least not to the same amount.

But let's not dwell on the Forrest Gump similarity too much. Because this film does have strength to stand on its own. It's a hilarious film about an old grump that one day simply decides that retirement home doesn't suit him. And thus he jumps out of the window and goes wandering like, as we find out through numerous flashbacks, he has always done when life gets too boring. Along the way he meets all sorts of people, including an elephant in Sweden, and hijinks ensue, like they often do in these kinds of movies.

This movie shines because of its unpredictability and fast pace. You never know what's coming next and the movie keeps up relentless pace, not letting you dwell on the unlikeness of the things happening on screen, which serves the film's purposes very well. The characters and their actors are also very charismatic and fun to follow around. Sure they're a bit stereotypical, aside from the main character, but that doesn't really bother you as you're watching them go because the events they're in are so bizarre.

The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared has one of the most cumbersome titles in a while, but trust me when I say that the film is anything but. If you're looking for a comedy with a dark sense of humour, this is not a bad choice.

I had readed the book before I watched this movie. It's hard to impart all content of book on movie.

If you'e close to retirement home consideration or even if it's a bit distant into the future or you just know someone in that situation this fantasy escapism will prove to be entertaining. If the bumbling escapades in the Pink Panther series is in your film dossier then mark up another reason to watch. Typical British understated dark humor. The twists are not very believable, but are entertaining enough in a slapstick sort of way to keep watching the movie, but like it's lead character, about a third of the way through the story seemed to fall into the "repetitive" antics doldrums; just plodding along. The ending just sort of petered out on me also; must be getting old.

A film quote as our, supposed 100 year old with an acting age more like in the 70s, escapee finds himself heading toward an unknown destination, "The middle of nowhere is underrated."

Not really of course, but I wouldn't be surprised if some would make that comparison. That old man also seems to have left his mark in history. And while I haven't read the book, I can tell you that the movie is funny in a weird way. Something that you might expect from something with a title like that.

The story moves along nicely with interceptions from time to time, that tell us what happened when he was younger. And also are there to show us what sort of character he is. It's tough to really threaten a man of his age. The actor playing him is much younger of course, which we can see when he plays the younger version in the flashbacks. The makeup is more than decent enough in the "now". Really nice and good, this movie is entertaining

I love watching movies with subtitles, and I'm very comfortable with profanity and with bizarre, absurd behavior. What I couldn't take about this movie was the terrible old-man makeup globbed like plaster on an actor who was obviously no older than about 50, and a robust, athletic 50 at that. Because of the stupid-looking, distracting makeup on a burly, middle-aged actor who could climb out windows and run, I could not for a second believe that that character was a real human being.

If a movie is centered on an unbelievable character it just doesn't work for me. What the character DOES can be completely absurd, but who that character IS just has to seem real for a movie to work. A movie titled The 100-Year-Old Man cannot work unless it's possible to believe that the man is 100 years old.

I read this novel in the middle of 2014, and was delighted with the sly humour. When the movie came out - quite quickly I thought - I was a little wary of it, having seen so many good books really wrecked by the film making industry. However, I have to say that if you enjoyed the book (and you can cope with a little necessary pruning) you should enjoy the movie. It's very well done, it's very funny and it captures the essence of the book perfectly. The characters were well drawn and the flashbacks were condensed so that the story did not falter or fail but blended together sensibly. A good film for those with a perverse sense of humour. Must watch more Swedish films.

ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL, INNOVATIVE, CREATIVE AND INTELLIGENT FILMS OUT THERE!

This is Swedish drama/satirical comedy at its best! Great soundtrack aswell! One of the best Swedish film ever made!

One Swedish man that changes the word onto how it looks today!

A adventure that you wont forget! Truly a interesting journey with AMAZING storytelling! Fantastic manuscript! Anazing acting and put together extremely good!

Truly one of the best films out there! If you haven't watch it, this is truly a must watch!

Amazing fiction that really puts perspective together on our history of humanity and how easy history can develop by one person!

Great comedy aswell!

Allan Karlsson would not be a fan of simile, metaphor, or flowery comparisons of any sort; he's much more of a "things are how they are, que sera sera" kind of guy. So he might issue one of his patented crinkly grimaces to hear his film, The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared (a title as cutely apt, lumbering, but functional as the film itself), allegorized as 'Forrest Gump through the eyes of a Swedish Kurt Vonnegut'. Still, it's impossible to imagine a more conducive description for the film. It's cute, clever, and laced with a very welcome sense of dark Swedish humour, but a bit too light and gentle to dig into the weightier, more Vonnegutian themes of other aging road trip contemporaries. Does this impact our enjoyment of the film? Not at all. It is what it is, and what it is is worthwhile and hugely watchable.

The plot is rather episodic, with the series of accidentally poignant flashbacks integrated amusingly but playing out more clumsily here than in book form. Ultimately, it's hard to shake the feeling that we might be better off forgoing Karlsson's colourful past altogether. His present-day caper, an almost Coen brothers-y road trip involving a mysterious bag of mob cash, an entourage of quirky companions, and an ever mounting, morbidly hilarious body count, is so much more watchable than the amusing but more contrived Gumpiness of his reminiscences. Still, Karlsson's amiable, nonchalant acceptance of all things that pass - political regimes, life, loss, Gulags, drinking, doppelgängers, xenophobic vasectomies, unexpected elephants, and lots and lots of explosions - is infectious, and perfectly portrayed with crusty warmth by (48 year old!) star Robert Gustafsson, aided by some pretty impressive makeup. He's an engaging enough narrator that all events, revolutionary (literally) and inconsequential, add flavour to his characterization and film alike.

As with all 100 year-old things there are growing pains. The film fights somewhat distractingly hard to play as a comedy sometimes, none the least through its carnivalesque, Nino Rota ripoff musical score, and the ending's cloying schmaltziness won't be to all tastes (though it's hard to find fault with any film that brings us to a Balinese beach vacation). Nonetheless, just as the film urges for nonjudgmental acceptance and enjoyment of everything that drifts on by, it dictates its own ideal viewing state. And as a night's hearty entertainment, untaxing but seasoned with just enough discerning weirdness, The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared could prove the perfect fit. So it goes.

-7/10

Well this review interacts only with those who red the book.

TO begin with, I'm obliged to say that the director of this film made some changes to the story which anyone who red the book will find them completely unnecessary, added zero points to the plot, diminished lots of funny parts and made this film completely spineless, blunt and unfunny.

Some said that the act was great, well I'm not so sure about that. Allan's attitude in the book has nothing to do with the so-called acting of the protagonist. He looks completely as a corpse who's being dragged through the entire film. Some characters were added and I don't find the reason why? Some stories changed and were utterly twisted which again don't find the reason why? They sure had the budget but screwed up with the scenario. Pity, pity, pity that they didn't get this film up to the top, when it was clear that they had such an amazing funny story.