Based on the worldwide best-seller by Fredrik Backman, the movie centers on Ove, an ill-tempered, isolated retiree who has finally given up on life just as an unlikely friendship develops with his boisterous new neighbors.
Shamelessly, but also quite movingly, hits all the required notes of the most pandering of feel-good Tinseltown sagas, with its story of a grouchy guy who turns out to have a heart of gold and a past worth sighing over.
As a cautionary tale, A Man Called Ove makes its points with some success and both Lassgard, as the infuriating yet ultimately sympathetic Ove, and Pars as the intelligent and resourceful Parvaneh, give stellar performances.
Lassgard manages to keep us from completely hating and giving up on him at the beginning of the film - no small trick - and allows us to care for him without engaging in maudlin sentimentality at the end.
Lassgård won't let you off easy: A scene in which Ove weeps hopelessly before the magnitude of his loneliness will bring tears to the eyes of anyone who has suffered a loss.
Ove stands out from the pack because of a beautifully-nuanced performance from veteran Swedish actor Rolf Lassgard. There's nothing obvious about Pars' performance, either.
