It’s taken until the middle of November but I’ve finally awarded a 2016 movie four stars.  It’s a Swedish dramedy entitled A Man Called Ove.  The story is simple: a very grumpy old man called Ove (Ralf Lassgård) is fed up with life and wants to end his own, but he is constantly interrupted, mainly by new neighbors who are not scared away by his rudeness.  Gradually he is persuaded to live again.  It’s a simple, life-affirming story that works so well because of the complex, endearing way it is told.

Hannes Holm’s film introduces Ove when he is at his lowest point; he is an irascible old geezer who would rather die than continue a pointless life without his wife, who died recently.  But through the magic of flashbacks, comic timing, neighbors just as stubborn and obstinate as Ove, a beautiful cat and a sterling script, the movie reveals the real Ove as a man with a good heart.  He cannot help but work for others even at his own expense, even when it makes him crazy.  Truth be told, his anger is what keeps him alive.

When his future wife Sonja (Ida Engvall) is first encountered, we wonder what she can possibly see in the young Ove (Filip Berg).  And while this is never properly explained (who can explain love?) it is Sonja’s grace that fulfills him.  When their story turns tragic, it is because of her grace that Ove becomes more than himself.  And when she dies, he cannot cope.  All of this is presented honestly and beautifully, mostly through eyes and voices other than Ove’s.  When he finally tells the pregnant neighbor lady Parvenah (Bahar Pars) what happened to them, it is heartrending.

Movies like this depend on universal understanding of their themes, and this one hits all the right notes.  The performances are perfect, the tone just right.  I’m also a sucker for movies where a cat is pivotal to the story and gauges the sincerity of the main character.  It’s the best movie I’ve seen this year.  ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆.  15 November 2016.