A Man Called Ove

Filmmaker Hannes Hohm's Swedish comedy-drama, based on Fredrik Backman's titular 2012 novel, aims for the heartstrings as much as the funny bone. Grieving widower Ove (Rolf Lassgård) is also the resident nag of his little neighborhood, prowling the streets daily to insist that the rules he made as head of the local governing board are followed, even though he's been ousted from the post. Shortly after his beloved wife's death, he is unceremoniously fired from his job of more than 40 years and he decides to end it all. But Ove's suicide attempts are invariably interrupted, mostly by the noisy neighbors who have just moved in across the road—talkative, pregnant Parvaneh (Bahar Pars), her inept husband (Tobias Almborg), and their two young daughters (Nelly Jamarani and Zozan Akgün). Much of the film centers on Ove's developing relationship with this family, but he will also mellow in other ways, adopting a stray cat, and taking in a boy thrown out by his father because he's gay. Ove's present-day experiences are intercut with flashbacks about his youth and relationship with his father, and his courtship of the lovely Sonja (Ida Engvoll) and subsequent blissful life, despite some terrible tragedies. The ups and downs of 59-year-old Ove's life, presented with a mixture of whimsy and sentiment, make for an engaging tale. Recommended. (F. Swietek)