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2015 Swedish film by Hannes Holm From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Man Called Ove (Swedish: En man som heter Ove, pronounced [ɛn ˈmanː sɔm ˈhěːtɛr ˈǔːvɛ]) is a 2015 Swedish comedy-drama film written and directed by Hannes Holm and based on the 2012 novel of the same name by Fredrik Backman. It stars Rolf Lassgård in the title role.[3]
| A Man Called Ove | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Swedish | En man som heter Ove |
| Directed by | Hannes Holm |
| Screenplay by | Hannes Holm |
| Based on | A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Göran Hallberg |
| Edited by | Fredrik Morheden |
| Music by | Gaute Storaas |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Nordisk Film |
Release date |
|
Running time | 116 minutes[1] |
| Country | Sweden |
| Language | Swedish |
| Box office | $29.4 million[2] |
The film was released theatrically in Sweden on 25 December 2015. It was nominated for six awards, winning two, at the 51st Guldbagge Awards in 2016.[4][5] At the 89th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and Best Makeup and Hairstyling.[6][7][8][9]
Ove Lindahl, a 59-year-old widower, lives in a townhouse neighborhood where he once chaired the association until his friend Rune replaced him. Rune, now paralyzed from a stroke, is cared for by his wife, Anita. Since his wife Sonja, a schoolteacher, died from cancer six months ago, Ove has been depressed. Forced into retirement from the railroad company where he worked for 43 years, Ove's routine involves enforcing neighborhood rules and visiting Sonja's grave to talk to her.
After sorting out his affairs, Ove tries to hang himself, triggering a flashback to his childhood. His mother's death left him with his silent father, a mechanic at the train company. His father's excitement about Ove's academic success leads to a fatal accident when he's hit by a train while spreading the news.
In the present, Ove's suicide attempt is interrupted by Iranian immigrant Parvaneh, her Swedish husband Patrick, and their children moving in across the street. Parvaneh's persistence breaks through Ove's tough exterior, causing him to abandon the noose for carbon monoxide poisoning. As he drifts into unconsciousness, memories flood back of "the Whiteshirts" trying to demolish his childhood home, which he defiantly repairs. A fire started by a neighbor leads to Ove losing his home, forcing him to sleep on a train where he meets Sonja. Smitten, he starts dating her, and she inspires him to pursue an engineering degree.
In the present, Ove's suicide attempt is interrupted again by Parvaneh needing a ride to the hospital for her husband's accident. After reluctantly helping, Ove ends up supervising Parvaneh and Patrick's daughters in the lobby, causing a scene and being asked to leave. Later, at the train station, he plans to end his life but instead saves a man who faints onto the tracks. His heroic act catches the attention of Lena, a local reporter, whom he evades with Parvaneh's help.
Parvaneh persuades Ove to teach her how to drive, leading to conversations about his past friendship with Rune and their falling out over car preferences. At Parvaneh's insistence, Ove reluctantly takes in a stray cat, and starts to bond with it. He also repairs a confiscated bike for a local teen named Adrian, who works at a kebab shop with Mirsad. Ove notices Mirsad's eye makeup but doesn't judge him.
Despite improving relations with his neighbors, Ove clashes with two Whiteshirts. He then tries to end his life with a shotgun but is interrupted by Adrian and Mirsad seeking refuge after Mirsad's family disowns him for coming out as gay. Reluctantly, Ove offers him shelter.
Ove learns that the Whiteshirts plan to move Rune to a nursing home, information Anita kept from him and Sonja. Ove realizes his grudge against Rune was foolish and declares war on the Whiteshirts. However, his confrontations yield little results. Frustrated, Ove shares with Parvaneh about a tragic vacation in Spain with a pregnant Sonja that ended in a bus crash. Despite Ove's efforts, Sonja lost the baby and suffered injuries, leading Ove to build a wheelchair ramp at her school when authorities failed to do so.
In the present day, journalist Lena confronts the Whiteshirts with evidence of their financial misconduct, leading to their retreat in the face of public scrutiny. Backed by supportive neighbors, Anita prevents Rune's forced relocation, allowing Ove to reconcile with him.
Later, Ove collapses and is hospitalized with an enlarged heart. Parvaneh gives birth to a son while teasing Ove about his failed attempts at dying. Ove gifts his unborn child's crib to Parvaneh and forms a close bond with her daughters, who affectionately call him grandpa.
Months pass, and during a winter storm, Ove is found peacefully dead in his bed, with his cat by his side. His modest funeral is attended by numerous neighbors, symbolizing the impact he had on their lives. Finally at peace, Ove awakens on a train to find Sonja sitting across from him once more.
On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 91% based on 121 reviews, with an average rating of 7.2/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "A Man Called Ove's winsome sincerity — and Rolf Lassgård's affectingly flinty performance in the title role — keep it from succumbing to excess sentimentality."[10] On Metacritic, which assigns a rating to reviews, the film has a weighted average score of 70 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[11]
The Washington Post,[12] Chicago Tribune[13] and RogerEbert.com[14] gave positive reviews. Reviewers have noted that while elements and formulas are familiar from films such as St. Vincent and Gran Torino, A Man Called Ove is well made and capable of bringing real tears to the audience's eyes.[12][15][16]
As of 2023[update], the film is the third most watched Swedish theatrical film in Sweden of all time.[17][18]
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| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards[19][20] | 26 February 2017 | Best Foreign Language Film | Sweden | Nominated |
| Best Makeup and Hairstyling | Eva von Bahr and Love Larson | Nominated | ||
| Cabourg Film Festival | 11 June 2016 | Essilor Audience Award | A Man Called Ove | Won |
| European Film Awards[21] | 10 December 2016 | European Comedy | A Man Called Ove | Won |
| Guldbagge Awards[4][5] | 18 January 2016 | Best Film | Annica Bellander and Fredrik Wikström Nicastro (Producers) | Nominated |
| Best Actor | Rolf Lassgård | Won | ||
| Best Supporting Actress | Bahar Pars | Nominated | ||
| Best Cinematography | Göran Hallberg | Nominated | ||
| Makeup and Hair | Eva von Bahr and Love Larson | Won | ||
| Best Visual Effects | Torbjörn Olsson | Nominated | ||
| Cinema Audience Award | A Man Called Ove | Won | ||
| Houston Film Critics Society[22][23] | 6 January 2017 | Best Foreign Language Film | A Man Called Ove | Nominated |
| Satellite Awards[24] | 19 February 2017 | Best Foreign Language Film | A Man Called Ove | Nominated |
| St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association[25] | 18 December 2016 | Best Foreign Language Film | A Man Called Ove | Nominated |
A remake was produced in the United States by Tom Hanks, who stars in the film.[26] In January 2022, it was announced that the film, titled A Man Called Otto, would be directed by Marc Forster, with David Magee writing the screenplay. Filming began in February 2022 in Pittsburgh with Mariana Treviño, Rachel Keller and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo co-starring alongside Hanks.[27][28] In February 2022, Sony Pictures acquired worldwide distribution rights to the film for $60 million, the highest ever paid for a film at the European Film Market, and set it for a Christmas 2022 release.[29]
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