Der Hundertjährige, der aus dem Fenster stieg und verschwand

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.

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.

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.

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