The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, a 2013 comedy by Felix Herngren, is a successful adaptation of Jonas Jonasson's bestselling novel of the same name.
The movie delves into the world of Allan Karlsson who, after a long and eventful life, ends up in a nursing home, believing it to be his last stop. The only problem is that he’s still in good health – and his days are getting tedious. With his 100th birthday party imminent, Allan decides to climb out of the window to escape his boring routine and start enjoying new adventures.
In the titular role is 50-year-old Swedish actor Robert Gustafsson, widely known as “Sweden’s funniest man”.
Director Herngren explains: “I wanted Allan to be portrayed by an actor who could do all the character’s different adult ages in a credible way. When I had read half the book, I began to think of Robert Gustafsson. To me he is the only one who would do the role with credibility and comic timing. When we tested him in complete make-up the winter of 2012, I felt he was a very good choice. Besides that, I love strong characters and good acting. I hope it all shows when you see the film.”
Also starring are Mia Skäringer (who also acts alongside Herngren in Swedish TV's comedy series Solsidan), Iwar Wiklander (Four Shades of Brown, 2004), and Jens Hultén (Skyfall (2012), and Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation (2015)).
Herngren admits he felt the pressure when it came to making the screen version of such a successful book.
“It is always difficult to adapt a book to film, but I could not resist when I got the chance. It is a delightfully twisted story with rich characters, and situational comedy at its best. I know the expectations were high for the film, and this is of course tough, but I’d rather shoot a good story with high expectations, than an unloved story without expectations.”
In the movie, when Karlsson climbs out of the window, he embarks on an unexpected journey that involves a gang of criminals, murderers, a suitcase stuffed with cash, an elephant and an incompetent policeman. It would be the adventure of a lifetime for anyone else, but to Allan it is just an ordinary life, because not only has he witnessed some of the most important events of the 20th century, he has actually played a key role in them, helping invent the atomic bomb, and being good friends with everyone from US presidents to Russian tyrants.
“Allan Karlsson is doing what many of us westerners should do,” says Herngren. “Do not worry about the future, use your gut instinct and do not fret over yesterday’s troubles. If a fraction of the audience takes some of this to heart from the film, I will be very pleased.”
The film has been a huge success, having been screened in more than 40 countries. It has earned more than US$50 million worldwide, making it the third-highest grossing Swedish film of all time after The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011) and The Girl Who Played with Fire (2009). There has been talk of a sequel but it yet to be confirmed.
• The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared is showing on Thursday October 29 at 6pm at Novo Cinema in World Trade Centre Mall, Abu Dhabi, and Friday October 30 at Ibn Battuta Mall Cinema in Dubai
artslife@thenational.ae
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
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Scoreline:
Barcelona 2
Suarez 85', Messi 86'
Atletico Madrid 0
Red card: Diego Costa 28' (Atletico)
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10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
If you go
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct to Nairobi, with fares starting from Dh1,695. The resort can be reached from Nairobi via a 35-minute flight from Wilson Airport or Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, or by road, which takes at least three hours.
The rooms
Rooms at Fairmont Mount Kenya range from Dh1,870 per night for a deluxe room to Dh11,000 per night for the William Holden Cottage.
THE%20SPECS
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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The biog
Name: Dhabia Khalifa AlQubaisi
Age: 23
How she spends spare time: Playing with cats at the clinic and feeding them
Inspiration: My father. He’s a hard working man who has been through a lot to provide us with everything we need
Favourite book: Attitude, emotions and the psychology of cats by Dr Nicholes Dodman
Favourit film: 101 Dalmatians - it remind me of my childhood and began my love of dogs
Word of advice: By being patient, good things will come and by staying positive you’ll have the will to continue to love what you're doing
Saturday's schedule at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
GP3 race, 12:30pm
Formula 1 final practice, 2pm
Formula 1 qualifying, 5pm
Formula 2 race, 6:40pm
Performance: Sam Smith
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
