Sweden’s Oscar
entry, A Man Called Ove is a
touching, bittersweet, comic tale that’s a deeply satisfying emotional
experience, and it’s fully deserving of its 2 Oscar nominations for best foreign
film and best hair and makeup.
Based on the international bestselling debut novel by blogger
Fredrik Backman, A Man Called Ove’s main
character, played by Rolf Lassgard, is definitely one of the grumpiest middle
aged men portrayed on film in recent years that saw a growing spate of ageist comedies
like Grandma (2015) and The Grump (2014).
As the self-proclaimed security guard and all round handyman
in his well-maintained community of row houses, Ove has a long established
routine of sternly making sure his neighborhood is safe and secure from vandals
and thieves by diligently enforcing the rules to the letter. One can’t be too
careful nowadays with irresponsible youth and the influx of immigrants.
Ove has an intimidating presence
with his mean scowl and quick imposing finger that he points at everyone who
approaches him with a question or a simple good morning greeting. He calls
everyone idiots, hisses at stray cats, tells off little old ladies who ask him
for help, and yells at people who drive through the traffic free residential lane
way.
Ove, who has tragically lost his
wife Sonja (Ida Engvoll) to cancer recently, is grumpier than usual and has
decided, after being forced to retire, to follow his true love into the
afterlife. The problem is, every time he’s about to kill himself he’s
interrupted by some imbecile neighbor who needs his help.
We can’t help but laugh as Ove
matter-of-factly attempts and fails to do himself in. At first we have little
sympathy for him but as we learn more about Ove’s past and especially his
relationship with his wife, it becomes apparent that he has lost someone very
special and is having trouble coping without her.
But the outside world that he
hates so much keeps barging in, coming to his rescue as he learns to adjust to
a new reality and we discover that he is not the evil unsympathetic man we
thought he was.
The story takes some unexpectedly
humorous turns including a backstory about his rivalry with a good friend that
drives a wedge between them as they obsessively try to outdo each other with their
loyalty to Swedish car makes Saab and Volvo.
Rolf Lassgard portrays Ove with perfect
balance of comic bombast and vulnerability, bringing this unlikeable man to life
in a way that we can all deeply relate to.
Acclaimed Norwegian composer
Gaute Storaas has created an evocative and moving musical score that beautifully
blends comic and tragic moods touching the right emotional strings. Ove’s plodding
base theme ‘Janitor’ perfectly complements
Lassgard’s bold daring performance.
A Man Called Ove
is the surprise sleeper hit of the year steadily gaining both critical acclaim and
audience praise. It unexpectedly got onto the Academy Award’s radar and is a
strong contender to win the Oscar for best foreign film this week against a
tough group of excellent films.
A crowd-pleaser that deals with surprisingly
relevant social issues and packs an emotional punch as it builds and develops one
of the most endearing characters of the year; A Man Called Ove is a cherished experience that will stay with you
long after its final fond images are seared into your heart.
JP
