Skip to main content

A man called Ove - film review



The local library yielded yet another golden find.  This is a Swedish production from a Swedish director with lead roles by Swedish actors.

A story about a grumpy old man called Ove, who has given up on life.  Perhaps a story about procrastinating death.  Or being completely bad at killing oneself?

Regardless it is a dark comedy that completely captures you and makes you root for this stubborn and nasty human being.  I see myself exhibiting many a characteristics of this aged and frustrated man who is the protagonist of the film.  To him the world is full of idiots.  Amen.

It is the story of a man who grows up singularly focused on doing the right thing, a cultural legacy I think while saying very little.  The movie weaves the viewer through the life of this once young kid who grows up stoic facing many a challenge, losing his parents relatively young age.  He goes on to meet a woman that captures his heart on a train.  Eventually marrying and having a wonderful life traveling with her only to see them lose their unborn child in an accident.

He pulls himself out of this funk courtesy his amazingly strong but now handicapped spouse and sets out to enrich both their lives in spite of their loss.  Finally the wife dies leaving him all alone.

The next chapter opens in Ove's life when his new neighbors move in.  The wife is Persian - Swedish, played by Bahar Pars who does an amazing job with the role.  She reminded me of Deepti Naval in Chashme Baddoor - similar pig tails and big brown eyes.  Pregnant when she arrives she befriends this reticent old man and wins him over.  She learns to drive with his help and gets him to watch her two young girls when she is busy.

A funny quote and there are many in this film - Bahar's character says to Ove  "I was thinking..." and he immediately quips "stop boasting."

The story is also about trains and cars and the mechanics of life itself.  It has managed to showcase a cross section of humanity from gays to handicaps to economic class and does it with no fuss and all class.  Fun and endearing to watch.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

On the go(zay masta) in Japan again

Cool cat the Japanese are Tokyo at dusk  My second visit to this land of the rising sun after almost a decade. Back then clearly I was wet behind the ears product manager and likely didn’t pay attention to all (efficient) things Japanese. But today I did and of course continue to be impressed. It is as much the obvious stuff like on time travel that is both clean and comfortable and all that which makes it possible. The impressive landmark and landscapes that these humans have put together despite their cramped (or because of it) surroundings and precarious geological conditions could amaze a novice architect among us. But it’s also the little things that someone had to think about which have a phenomenal impact on day to day lives that make the Japanese stand apart. Below are few random examples- 1. Providing a very fine machined wooden toothpick in every packet of wooden chopsticks. The said chapsticks are simply set on the To Go counter of any food vendor/ convenience store wher...
Post a Comment
Read more

Presumptive Society

Today's world is hyper connected.  I am not so sure what it means but you hear it a lot.  It is probably hyper but not sure how connected it is.  Sugar (fermented or not) is available in many ways than before and so getting hyper is easy.  It is probably more a threat than cocaine since it is sold legally. And what is this connected stuff?  Most people I encounter seem disconnected from reality.  So going back to this assumption that we are connected there are subtle and no so subtle instances of how brands and companies and middle men try to portray someone - A linkedin profile for somebody working for X years at a place advertises to the connected network that so and so is CELEBRATING X years @ Such and Such Inc. Do we know if (s)he is celebrating or cringing?  Perhaps a better way to portray will be - So and So LASTED X years @ such & such inc. Then it exhorts the readership to go ahead and congratulate them for this lasting effe...
2 comments
Read more

A few good books

 On an informal mission to read one book a week as long as the eyes allow for such ambition. Fiction or non is not important as long as it entertains and /or educates. To that end the past few weeks have brought a bounty in the form of some wonderful and then not so engaging literature. Among the notables are - Non fiction category: 1. Good arguments by Bo Seo (how to handle a dispute or debate the most efficient way possible) 2. Genesis by Eric Schmidt (and former US Secy of State Henry Kissinger, who recently passed) - how AI might affect our lives as we know it 3. One in a billion - Zarna Garg (an autobiographical look at an Indian born American woman with a bindi narrated in a standup format - yes it is at times cliched but still funny) Fiction: 1. Personal by Lee Child (a vigilante story with Jack Reacher the giant, nomad protagonist of Child's novels goes hunting for a sniper) 2. Ramayana unraveled by Ami Ganatra (she might disagree about it being a work of fiction but oh wel...
Post a Comment
Read more