Indie Gems: A Man Called Ove

Idiots.

Ove (Rolf Lassgård) is 59 years old and recently retired. His beloved wife passed away six months earlier, and he has plans to join her, but every time he attempts to end his life, something distracts him. Whether it be his neighbors annoying dog, who he must berate. Or someone driving down the path they're not supposed to in his housing complex. Ove spends most of his time being a grouch. Then he gets new neighbors. Parvaneh (Bahar Pars) is a friendly mother of soon to be three who seems to understand him a bit, and she and her family made it harder for Ove to end it all.

A Man Called Ove finds a perfect balance between humor, sadness, and warmth. Ove's blunt manner and insistence that his neighbor's chihuahua looks more like a slipper are endlessly amusing. When we flash back to Ove's early life and time with his wife, we see that he's always been a bit standoffish, but he's faced enough tragedy that his attitude isn't surprising. While it's plot is somewhat similar to A Single Man, I didn't find myself comparing the two at all. 

Lassgård give an absolutely amazing performance. I wish he was in the Best Actor race this year. While Ove spends a lot of time being grumpy, it's those moments when he cracks that Lassgård shines the most. Pars is also a wonderfully peaceful edition. She's so kind and patient it's easy to see why she and her family of all people were able to get to him. 

Grade: A-

Watched on: DVD

Memorable Quote: "Keep those bastards off our path." - Ove (Rolf Lassgård)