A Somewhat Gentle Man
A crook trying to go straight finds that it isn't as easy as he'd hoped in this comedy drama from director Hans Petter Moland. Ulrik (Stellan Skarsgård) is a nice guy with a vicious streak that he lets out only when he has to -- he's just been released from prison after serving 12 years for murder, but the guards grew to like him so much that they even gave him going-away presents. Ulrik used to work for mob boss Rune Jensen (Bjørn Floberg), but he isn't eager to go back into a life of crime, hoping instead to patch up his relationships with his son, Geir (Jan Gunnar Røise), now in his mid-twenties, and his former wife, Wenche (Kjersti Holmen). Rune arranges for Ulrik to get a job in an auto repair shop run by overexcited Sven (Bjørn Sundquist) and a place to stay with his sister, Karen (Jorunn Kjellsby), but his underground empire has fallen on hard times and Ulrik is one of the few loyalists he has left. Kenny (Henrik Mestad) was the man who finked on Ulrik and sent him to prison, but while Rune wants Ulrik to kill him, Ulrik doesn't see the point. Ulrik's new life doesn't go as smoothly as he would like, though, and Geir isn't so eager to let his father back in his life -- especially since his wife thinks his father is dead. En Ganske Snill Mann (aka A Somewhat Gentle Man) was an official selection at the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival. more..
Director: Hans Petter Moland
Starring: Stellan Skarsgård, Bjørn Floberg, Gard Eidsvold, Jorunn Kjellsby, Jan Gunnar Røise
Skarsgard's utter finesse in the role provides a satisfying warmth.
For a passive-depressive Norwegian crime drama with not a lot in the way of plot, A Somewhat Gentle Man has a charmingly fluky sense of humor.
Patiently directed by Hans Petter Moland, Ulrik's journey back to life slowly draws you in.
Played for laughs drawn from characters rather than funny lines, the Norwegian film is a charmer with Stellan Skarsgard for once in a role worthy of his attention.
It's a low-blood-pressure version of the kind of thing James M. Cain used to do in his sleep, and its filmmaking accomplishment is as minimalist as its narrative ambition is minimal.
Best Actor (Årets mannlige skuespiller)
Amanda Awards, Norway (2010)
Hans Petter Moland
Berlin International Film Festival (2010)
Best Actor
Chlotrudis Awards (2012)
Best Foreign Language Film
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards (2011)
No lists