A Man Called Ove (2015)

Swedish film based on the international best selling novel of the same name, A Man Called Ove tells of the emotional reawaking of a 59 year old, widowed pensioner, after a mixed raced couple move into the house across the street. Ove starts as the stereotypical grumpy old man, and from the outset of the film there is little doubt as to the conventional general direction the movie will take. What surprised is how well handled the getting there was, and how much you truly love this man by the end of the film. Ove's backstory is imparted principally through a series of flash backs that trace his life from the childhood death of his mother to the death of his beloved wife. The flash backs are trigged by multiple failed suicide attempts, efforts in which he is regularly interrupted by neighbors at the door, or the sounds of local commotion he feels obliged to investigate. Despite that dark shading, this is a Swedish film after all, this is ultimately a life affirming, and upbeat film which puts forward the heartening thought that there is a more to the people around you then there might at first appear. Rolf Lassgard as the old Ove and Filip Berg as the young Ove the films standout performances. and  I loved this movie. ****