Wednesday, March 15, 2017

A Man Called Ove 2015


     This film is based on a best selling novel by Frederick Backman.  Ove is a 59-year-old Swedish man living in a condominium community.  He was formerly the president of the condominium association but he was removed from this position.  Despite his removal, very morning he makes his rounds around the property.  He doesn’t tolerate cars driving in through the gate and by the living areas.  He also oversees storage units, checking that they are locked and that things are put away properly.  Parvaneh is from Persia and she moves with her family into the house across from Ove.  Her husband accidentally backs into Ove’s mailbox but an unexpected friendship develops. 
     I had planned to read the book first but the DVD became available to me first.  Now I don’t have to read the book?  There are many funny scenes and a lot of dry humor due to Ove’s grumpiness and pushiness!!  I was surprised at the friendship developed between Ove and Parvaneh and her family.  I didn’t think anyone was going to like Ove?  I was also surprised he was able to hold back his temper and an inclination to physical violence against a man who wants to remove his friend Rune from his home.  3 ½* (I liked this movie)

116 min, Comedy directed by Hannes Holm with Rolf Lassgard, Bahar Pars, Filip Berg, Ida Engvoll, Tobias Almborg, Klas Wiljergard, Chatarina Larsson. Borje Lundberg, Stefan Godicke, Johan Widerberg.

Note:  Imdb 7.7 out of 10, 90% critic 88% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 3 ½*, Amazon 3.9* out of 5* with 741 reviews.  (The book on Amazon has 4.6* out of 5* with 10,896 reviews)
Special Note:  Filmed in Trollhattan, Vastr Gotalands Ian, Sweden; Valldemosa and Sa Calobra, Mallorca, Balearic Islands, Spain.  Submitted by Sweden for the Best Foreign Language Film for the 2017 Academy Awards.  The cat in this film is a ragdoll and two cats were used, Magic and Orlando and they were born in Poland.  Rolf Lassgard was 59 years old at filming, the same age as Ove.

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