A Somewhat Gentle Man

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A Somewhat Gentle Man

2011

1h 45m

Comedy

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

29 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Ulrik (Stellan Skarsgard) is an odd sort of criminal, utterly passive and willing to do what is asked of him, demanding little in return. For the last crime he committed he was sent to jail, but he's now getting out, and the prospect of freedom is less than enticing. His boss, Jensen (Bjørn Floberg), wants him to pursue revenge against the snitch who put him in prison. On top of that, Ulrik has to deal with his son, who has a new fiancée, and a family that doesn't think much of his profession.

Keith Uhlich

Time Out

Jun 12, 2023

2/5

An uneasy mix of woeful pathos and broad farce.

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Calvin Wilson

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Mar 18, 2011

3/4

Skarsgard, who is perhaps best known for "Good Will Hunting" and "Breaking the Waves," makes the most of his rich role, imbuing Ulrik with a knockabout charm.

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Ty Burr

Boston Globe

Feb 24, 2011

3/4

"A Somewhat Gentle Man'' is welcome, in part because Skarsgrd is almost the whole show but also because the actor doesn't use the role as an excuse to put on a big performance - to do more. On the contrary, he quite wonderfully does less.

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Kelly Jane Torrance

Washington Examiner

Jan 8, 2019

4/5

Skarsgard, of course, is mesmerizing.

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Lindy West

The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

Aug 25, 2017

A Somewhat Gentle Man is a slow, dark, somewhat gentle comedy-just when you think you're bored, you notice it's under your skin.

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Michael Nordine

Reverse Shot

Oct 25, 2011

Hans Petter Moland's film is either a jack of all trades, master of none -- well-rounded but unclear in its overall intentions -- or an experiment in balance whose results are difficult to ascertain.

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Oran B

@OranumB Jun 7, 2025

I rarely write reviews, but I felt compelled after sitting through A Somewhat Gentle Man. I found it incredibly boring, aimless, and painfully slow. The plot felt like it was going nowhere, the characters lacked depth, and I kept waiting for something meaningful to happen—but it never did. I honestly can’t understand how it received such a high score on Rotten Tomatoes. For me, it was a complete waste of time.

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kirby p

@RT22297428 Jan 3, 2020

One of the best movies ever -- although there is a love scene that'll put you off your lunch. The scene where a guy tries to hail a taxi is arguably the funniest thing in the history of cinema.

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Jul 24, 2016

Droll and dry, this crime film turns into a bedroom-hopping farce about family redemption and it works.

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Sep 30, 2014

An ok movie, but nothing special to recommend or to remember. It's just sort of a slow character piece, but unfortunately the character isn't that interesting. Stellan Skarsgard makes it about as compelling as it could be, but just still not enough for me.

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Dec 5, 2012

Stellan Skarsgård is fantastic in this film! Very witty and well-written script.

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Jul 24, 2012

Gran comedia basada en pequeÃ±os detalles. Seguramente me perdÃ muchos de ellos por no hablar noruego. De igual manera quien vea esta pelÃcula tiene risas garantizadas, sobre todo, si disfruta del humor negro.

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Hans Petter Moland

Director

Stellan Skarsgård

Ulrik

Bjørn Floberg

Rune Jensen

Gard B. Eidsvold

Rolf

Jorunn Kjellsby

Karen Margrethe

Bjørn Sundquist

Sven

Critics Consensus: The Green Hornet Recieves Bad Buzz

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Synopsis

Ulrik (Stellan Skarsgard) is an odd sort of criminal, utterly passive and willing to do what is asked of him, demanding little in return. For the last crime he committed he was sent to jail, but he's now getting out, and the prospect of freedom is less than enticing. His boss, Jensen (Bjørn Floberg), wants him to pursue revenge against the snitch who put him in prison. On top of that, Ulrik has to deal with his son, who has a new fiancée, and a family that doesn't think much of his profession.

Director: Hans Petter Moland
Producer: Finn Gjerdrum, Stein B. Kvae
Screenwriter: Kim Fupz Aakeson
Distributor: Strand Releasing
Production Co: Paradox, Paradox Spillefilm AS
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Original Language: Norwegian
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 14, 2011, Limited
Release Date (DVD): May 3, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $37.5K
Runtime: 1h 45m

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