Film No. 55 (2014) August 11th. 6:30 PM PARADISO Northbridge.
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared.
I ask you; is not the most difficult film to find, in recent times, the film that makes you laugh; and when I say laugh I mean laugh out loud? Such a film remains the easiest film to recommend to friends. Well let me recommend The 100-Year-Old Man to you. If it's not making you laugh then you'll most definitely have a smile on your face.
The film is an adaptation of a book of the same name written by Jonas Jonasson. Because the book had people laughing on trains, busses and aeroplanes worldwide the bug to read it spread. Expectations were therefore very high when the film first opened in Europe mid last year. The film is not as expansive as the book but the essence of the underplayed, dry wit remains. I saw this film in a three quarter full cinema and the laughter was infectious.
The story revolves around Allan Karlsson who we meet on his 100th birthday. He's dreading the celebrations about to be bestowed upon him by the inhabitants of his aged care facility. To escape, he climbs out the window to who knows where and to meet who knows who. The adventures he has in real time are beyond belief from the time he wanders into the local bus station; but the adventures he's had from child hood, as told in flashback, are spectacularly outrageous.
Robert Gustafsson (Karlsson) a 49 year old Swedish born actor, is brilliant as the lead. He's depicted as a thirty year old through to a 100 year old. His make-up is authentic and adds to the dead pan characterisation that makes Allan so loveable. The book is a classic and there are changes and deletions to the storyline. It may be too much for some but not for me, my wife and friends (also devotees of the book) who accompanied us to the cinema. The laughs flowed as readily in the film as they did in the book. 10GUMS
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