This Swedish comedy about a cantankerous man, old before his time and suicidal after losing his job but realising slowly that perhaps life, and people in general, aren't so bad after all, is a gem. It was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar and deservedly so and it's certainly much better than the overrated and not dissimilar "Toni Erdmann" and as the older Ove, Rolf Lassgard is miraculously good, (we also get to meet him as a child and a much younger man). Of course, an American version would be hugely sentimental but the Swedes don't really do sentimentality and this is sweet, funny and sad. Any tears it draws, it draws honestly. It's also beautifully directed by Hannes Holm in a series of short scenes designed to show Ove's character and that of his neighbours and it's sure to put a very large smile on your face.
No comments:
Post a Comment