From the London Film Festival, Stellan Skarsgård finds that you can't easily go home again...

Hans Petter Moland's dark ex-con comedy is reminiscent of Anders Thomas Jensen's humour, the Danish director responsible for Adam's Apples and The Green Butchers...

After twelve years in prison for killing his wife's lover, Ulrik (Stellan Skarsgård) is reluctantly released to a daunting changed world. Reunited with his ex-gangster chum Jensen (Bjørn Floberg), Ulrik is encouraged to avenge his downfall by killing the guy who ratted on him. But Ulrik is more interested in earning his the respect of long-lost son Geir (Jan Gunnar Røise). Studying to be an electrical engineer, replete with a pregnant girlfriend and decorated flat, Geir represents the life Ulrik now wants for himself.

During the time Ulrik spent in prison, his crim buddies have abandoned their underworld lifestyles, and consequently aren't as tough or respected as before, although Jensen misguidedly kids himself: “I look after my people, Ulrik. If my people show weakness, they know I am weak - my guys don't run away from accounts.” Everything about their gangster “empire” is crumbling, from the open, damp and empty warehouse where Jensen boasts he stored Ulrik's belongings, to the car that he loans Ulrik - which breaks down while he's tailing the snitch. Lodging with Jensen's sister, Ulrik is back in a room like a prison cell - bare and dirty. But not everything's bad...

Ulrik seems to have a new-found way with the ladies. He goes on an amusing date with garage worker, Merete (Jannike Kruse), and “romantically” discusses different ways of killing someone in a garage.

"This special breed of Norwegian humour is manifested through its quirky characters, who somehow manage to be both repulsive and endearing"

Unfortunately his new animal attraction gets the attention of his landlady, who repeatedly makes too much food, claiming “I'll just throw it out if you don't eat it.” Their nightly TV meals are one of the funniest aspects of the film, as her clothes become more disturbingly revealing until she's crying out “dear Lord in heaven”, still wearing pop socks and slippers. The sight of Ulrik eating while satisfying her, is only topped by her cleaning herself up afterwards with her own pants and then classily depositing them on the food tray.

A Somewhat Gentle Man's special breed of Norwegian humour is manifested through its quirky characters, who somehow manage to be both repulsive and endearing. The tone is set at the start when a woman backs into a man's car and in retaliation he puts her in a dumpster. Jensen's sidekick, Rolf, is constantly being told what to do - hug Ulrik, buy flowers... and is inevitably reprimanded for his efforts: “they're 'old lady' flowers”.

Ulrik's boss, garage owner Sven, churns out amusing and incredibly fast monotonous musings, even managing to finish a spiel about relationships while having heart palpitations: “The world must keep on turning.” A quick-witted gangster dwarf asks Jensen if he has “a bun in the oven” when Jensen tries to mock him: “Hey shorty - mum and dad home?”

Although predominantly funny, A Somewhat Gentle Man makes some well-observed commentary on what it is like for prisoners returning to society. When Ulrik leaves prison, the guards wish him luck “with the rest of his life”, giving him a bottle and instructing him to “keep looking forward”. Severe snow, the whir of traffic and harsh whistling winds greet Ulrik, but family have abandoned him; there's a particularly sad and lonely scene among all of Ulrik's driving and observing, where he watches his son from afar laughing along with him.

Finding humour in the small, A Somewhat Gentle Man is both sad and uplifting, ending on an ultimately hopeful note as Ulrik finds the motivation and inspiration to try carving out a new life for himself: “You wake up and realise that life isn't over after all.”

Director: Hans Petter Moland
Writer: Kim Fipz Aakeson
Country: Norway
Running Time: 107 mins
Starring: Stellan Skarsgård, Bjorn Floberg, Jorunn Kjellsby

We currently have no release information for A Somewhat Gentle Man

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