A Man Called Ove (2016)

It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Don't listen to the negative reviews

A different way of telling a story

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

This is one of those movies where you hate to criticize it because there are so few movies nowadays that are effecting and tell a story for grown-ups. And for the first two-thirds or so the film IS absorbing, and the characters are touching. The humor of a man who, try as he may, cannot kill himself, is hard to resist. But in the end, this curmudgeon-becomes-loving-and-lovable story feels hackneyed and false. Ove rails against the bureaucracy of the "whiteshirts," but as many have pointed out when asked, "What did people do before the government got involved in (fill in the blank),"... well, they were abused, or were poisoned, or were killed. I don't know -- maybe it's a Swedish thing of an overbearing state, and there is a real risk of the infirm being carted away by money-minded caretakers (or at least there was one such story in the papers). But Ove's world view seems rather like that of a (rather unappealing) Idaho separatist. Moreover, I felt cheated that the fact his wife spent her adult life in a wheelchair wasn't disclosed until near the end. It would have come up more naturally earlier in the story, and leaving it for last felt like manipulation. Again, the movie is certainly watchable, or at least most of it. But ultimately I think it is a failure, and its rating among critics too high.

59 year old Ove Lindahl is a grumpy man. Even a coupon can set him off in frustration. His beloved wife Sonja had recently passed away. He had been voted out as the president of the homeowners' association years earlier. He's pushed into early retirement at his job. He is angered by the whiteshirts and people driving on the local pathway. He tries to commit suicide but he's interrupted every time. There is the new neighbor family and the Persian wife who insists on being friends. Each suicide attempt comes with his past flashing before his eyes.This is hilarious. It is heart-warming and then it's heart-breaking. Suicide has never been funnier. I love Parvaneh and her relationship with Ove. Ove's love of Sonja is touching. It is the most human of stories. The performances, the writing, everything is great.

It's rare that a movie with real themes doesn't resort to sentiment and tediousness. This wonderful, moving film isn't just about a 'grumpy old man', as one would at first believe, but a terrific overview of pain and triumph and gorgeous friendships.Beautifully acted by simply everyone, in the style of good French movies, (though it isn't one,) where the simplest of stories is excellently complex and redolent of all of our lives, in one way or another.Beautiful, touching and some good funny moments with many delightful moments... and one girl's most amazing smile.I would watch this one again, easily.

Review (1~5)#Content: Script 5 | Acting 5 | Cinematography 5 | Film Editing 5#Visual: Costume Design 4 | Makeup & Hairstyling 3 | Scenic Design 3 | Lighting 4 | Visual Effects 4#Sound: Score & Soundtracks 5 | Sound Editing & Mixing 4#Overall (1~10): 9