The Swedish tackle a new sort of "Forrest Gump", in a darkly comic adaptation of "The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Dissapeared", from the internationally best-selling novel by Jonas Jonasson. Written by Scott Gentry.

"The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out Of The Window And Disappeared"(15)
Directed by: Felix Herngren.
Starring: Robert Gustafsson, Iwar Wiklander, David Wiberg, Mia Skäringer, Jens Hultén, Alan Ford and Bianca Cruzeiro.
Rated: 15 for containing strong language and infrequent strong violence.
Running time: 114 minutes. 
Language: Swedish, with English subtitles. 
Out in UK cinemas from the 4th of July, 2014. 

Swedish cinema is most definitely on the rise; with recent releases such as "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" (2009) (and its many sequels) and the adaptation of Jo Nesbo's "Headhunters" (2011), its only fair to say that the quality and quantity of the Swedish film industry is currently of a particularly high standard. Now, the Swede's have opted for an unlikely adaptation, in the form of Jonas Jonasson's Python-esque comedy, "The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out Of the Window and Disappeared". 

Its title may be a mouthful, but this wildly amusing film follows the story of Allan Karlsson (Gustafsson), an elderly fellow who is about to celebrate his 100th birthday, in his nursing home. However, upon hearing the sound of firecrackers outside of his bedroom window, his passion for explosions is reignited; eventually deciding to escape, he sets out on a trip involving a gang of dim-witted bikers, a rather large elephant and a cruel British crime lord (Ford), whilst recounting his life, which constantly revolves around dynamite. 

Despite its totally madcap plot, Herngren's third directorial feature is solid entertainment, mainly due to the hilarious script from himself, Hans Ingemansson and Jonas Jonasson who mix humour with emotional scenes, which are often reminiscent of films such as "Fargo", "Seven Psychopaths" and perhaps Guy Ritchie's "Snatch". Like "Forrest Gump", "The 100-Year-Old Man" is interesting in terms of its many situations in which Allan finds himself in; whether he's aiding J. Robert Oppenheimer in the Manhattan Project or blowing up bridges in the Spanish civil war, Allan is constantly contributing to some of history's most famous events and it's absolutely hilarious. 

The performances from the eccentric cast are uniformly excellent, managing to capture the comedic elements and the emotional sensibilities perfectly. In particular, Gustafsson steals every scene he is in, proving his title of "the funniest man in Sweden". Herngren's ambitious production also includes some excellent cinematography by Göran Hallberg, which rivals many other productions released so far this year.

Verdict

Herngren's film is a quirky and darkly comedic tale, which serves as perfect cinematic escapism in a season where sequels and blockbusters run riot.

7.5 Stars out of 10

Written by Scott Gentry.

Film Rating Key

1-2 stars out of ten = Awful.

3-4 stars out of ten = Average.

5-6 stars out of ten = Good.

7-8 stars out of ten = Excellent.

9-10 stars out of ten = Amazing.