A Man Called Ove

A Man Called Ove

By

  • Genre: Comedy, Drama
  • Release Date: 2015-12-25
  • Runtime: 116 minutes
  • : 7.608
  • Production Company: Nordsvensk Filmunderhållning
  • Production Country: Norway, Sweden
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7.608/10
7.608
From 1,148 Ratings

Description

Despite being deposed as president of his condominium association, grumpy 59-year-old Ove continues to watch over his neighbourhood with an iron fist. When pregnant Parvaneh and her family move into the terraced house opposite Ove and she accidentally back into Ove’s mailbox, it sets off a series of unexpected changes in his life.

Trailer

Reviews

  • Peter McGinn

    8
    By Peter McGinn
    This is of course the original Swedish version of this film, soon to be joined for posterity by a U.S. version featuring Tom Hanks. The comparison between the two productions should prove to be interesting. I actually enjoyed the movie a bit more than I did the book. Perhaps it is because I write novels myself. I found I did not connect with the printed lead character at all, whereas I felt much more sympathy for the movie character. By necessity a movie reduces the number of scenes usually, so there were fewer episodes of Ove being belligerent, plus the actor playing him was subtle in showing both wit and moments of caring at times. In the book I had more sympathy for his upbeat and witty wife, thinking, why does she stay with him? Also in the book I was more aware of the passage of time. I suppose a movie tells a story in a different way, so it is less necessary to know the length of time taking place between major scenes. I was also cognizant in the film that the setting seemed more claustrophobic. Most of the action was indoors, in the residents’ yards or neighborhood, or at the cemetery. There aren’t many wide shots, unusually for a Scandinavian production. It reflects the narrow confines of Ove’s existence also, I suppose. Anyway, the writing is strong and the acting, as near as a subtitle viewer can tell, is excellent. Like I said, I await with interest the Tom Hanks version. They will have trouble improving upon this version.

  • CinemaSerf

    7
    By CinemaSerf
    Rolf Lassgård looks like he is enjoying his role here as the curmudgeonly old "Ove". Widowed and now, compulsorily, retired he lives in his small community where he enforces the local by-laws enthusiastically whilst generally upsetting all his neighbours with his entertainingly caustic remarks. Lonely and increasingly frustrated, he alights on suicide - but one way or another it would seem that the Almighty isn't ready for him yet, either! Using some flashbacks of his younger life with wife "Sonja" (Ida Engvoll) we intersperse the timelines as the joy and optimism of that period of his life (Filip Berg gets the part here) with the sense of futility he experiences now as he feels entirely redundant. Those sentiments are only made worse by the arrival of new neighbours who are definitely not local and we realise there might just be an hint of xenophobia about our old gent too. This wouldn't be much of a story nor he a character if things weren't going to change, though, and the thrust of the plot gradually sees him exposed to things that are new but not unwelcome. You know he isn't actually the hostile and intolerant man he appears to be - it's part of his self defence mechanism. The question is - will his neighbours persevere or will they just abandon him to his melancholy. It's a gently entertaining film that looks at belligerence and bloody mindedness, but tempers those observations with plenty of humour and just an hint of encouragement for us to try to understand that change can be hard and nerve-wracking in people set in their ways - especially when that change challenges established views on race, or creed, or sexuality. He might well have the right ideas about social media, though...

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