Overview
A man emerges from prison to navigate the complexities of life outside, where old habits die hard.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- deadpan
- warm
- lazy sunday
- scandinavian cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an engaging Norwegian tragicomedy, praising its dry humor and Stellan Skarsgård's central performance while noting its uneven tonal balance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ulrik leaves prison after twelve years and struggles to build a socially acceptable life around family, romance, and former associates.
Ulrik's gang ties and murder conviction are placed beside dating, family approval, hair loss, and a nursery-owning household.
The plot repeatedly asks how gentle Ulrik can remain while dealing with gang demands, an ex-partner, and a snitch.
The son's fiancée's family rejects Ulrik's history because they have principles and a conventional nursery-centered life.
Films like A Somewhat Gentle Man, and why
The Guard
deadpan crime comedy, reluctant criminal protagonist, and bittersweet social observation
In Bruges
darkly comic ex-con milieu, humane character study, and understated criminality
Adam's Apples
scandinavian tragicomedy, morally compromised characters, and dry low-key humor
A Prophet
crime drama shaped by deadpan humor, personal reinvention, and an aging outsider
Movie Details
- Director
- Hans Petter Moland
- Release Date
- 2010-03-19
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (127)
Cast
- Stellan Skarsgård
- Jorunn Kjellsby
- Bjørn Floberg
- Gard B. Eidsvold
- Jannike Kruse
- Bjørn Sundquist
- Kjersti Holmen
- Jon Øigarden
- Jan Gunnar Røise
- Julia Bache-Wiig
Common questions
- What is A Somewhat Gentle Man about?
- A recently released Norwegian ex-con tries to live gently while his criminal past keeps pulling him back toward violence and social disgrace.
- What is A Somewhat Gentle Man like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Somewhat Gentle Man as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is A Somewhat Gentle Man violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in A Somewhat Gentle Man as moderate.
- What did critics think of A Somewhat Gentle Man?
- Critics broadly found the film an engaging Norwegian tragicomedy, praising its dry humor and Stellan Skarsgård's central performance while noting its uneven tonal balance.
- Which films are like A Somewhat Gentle Man?
- Films with a similar feel include The Guard, In Bruges, Adam's Apples, and A Prophet.
- How long is A Somewhat Gentle Man?
- A Somewhat Gentle Man runs 103 minutes.
