A Man Called Ove (En man som heter Ove) (2016)
91%RT Audience Score: 87%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 2 Oscars
16 wins & 29 nominations total
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.
A Man Called Ove is the perfect movie to watch when you’re feeling grumpy and need a good laugh. It’s a heartwarming story about a curmudgeonly old man who learns to love again thanks to his quirky neighbors. The film strikes a perfect balance between dark humor and touching drama, and the performances are top-notch. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll come away feeling a little bit better about the world. So grab some popcorn and settle in for a delightful evening with Ove and his gang.
Production Company(ies)
Hollywood Pictures,
Distributor
Music Box Films
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Trollhättan, Västra Götalands län, Sweden
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for thematic content, some disturbing images, and language
Year of Release
2016
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.35 : 1
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Runtime:1h 56m
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Language(s):Swedish, Persian
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Country of origin:Denmark, Norway, Sweden
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Sep 30, 2016 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 16, 2017
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Rolf Lassgård, Bahar Pars, Zozan Akgün, Tobias Almborg, Filip Berg, Ida Engvoll, directed by Hannes Holm, written by Hannes Holm, comedy, drama, PG-13, Music Box Films, box office gross $3.4M, reviewed by Simran Hans, Donald Clarke, David Jenkins, Kevin Maher, Peter Bradshaw, Linda Marric, Jim Rohner, Charlotte Harrison, Richard Propes, Andrew Gaudion, Steven Prokopy, Jorge Ignacio Castillo, Fredrik Backman’s novel adaptation, grumpy old man, unlikely friendship, community, blue-collar anxieties, Swedish, retired, strict principles, short fuse, block association rules, wife’s grave, angry, isolated, boisterous young family, excess sentimentality, winsome sincerity, affectingly flinty performance, title role, manipulative, wholesome, lovely, endearing, love, life, death, connections, diversity, black humor, touching, introspective, dark comedy, character study, Oscar nomination, best foreign film
Worldwide gross: $30,692,889
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $37,828,942
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,463
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 4,125,294
US/Canada gross: $3,479,315
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $4,288,251
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,846
US/Canada opening weekend: $54,608
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $67,304
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,097
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Bahar Pars – Parvaneh
Zozan Akgün – Nasanin
Tobias Almborg – Patrick
Filip Berg – unga Ove
Ida Engvoll – Sonja
Director(s)
Hannes Holm
Writer(s)
Hannes Holm
Producer(s)
Annica Bellander, Nicklas Wikström Nicastro
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 2 Oscars
16 wins & 29 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (119) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (108) | Rotten (11)
By giving voice to blue-collar anxieties before working to resolve them, the film suggests that community can cure almost all ailments.
July 2, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
Simran Hans
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
The main problem with A Man Called Ove – a faithful, nice looking adaption of Fredrik Backman’s popular novel – is that it’s not manipulative enough.
June 30, 2017 | Rating: 3/5
Donald Clarke
Irish Times
TOP CRITIC
Not a film to change your view of the world or anything like that, but certainly a pleasant enough sit.
June 30, 2017 | Rating: 3/5
David Jenkins
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
The mellowing of a grumpy widower isn’t exactly a new idea in filmed drama, but thanks to a bleak yet morbidly funny tone and some clever narrative shenanigans, the Swedish box-office hit A Man Called Ove wholly reinvigorates the concept.
June 29, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
Kevin Maher
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Not very funny, not very sad, not very believable, and not very interesting.
June 29, 2017 | Rating: 2/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
A genuinely enjoyable two hours which will have you howling with laughter one minute, and sobbing the next.
June 29, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
Linda Marric
HeyUGuys
TOP CRITIC
At times a difficult dark comedy and other times a touching, introspective drama, do yourself a favor and get to know Ove…
April 15, 2021
Jim Rohner
Battleship Pretension
Darkly funny and uplifting, this is a real gem of a film.
October 8, 2020
Charlotte Harrison
Charlotte Sometimes Goes to the Movies
A Man Called Ove is the kind of film you start off resisting yet ultimately surrender to its charms.
August 30, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
It is a wholesome, lovely and endearing film about love, life, death and the connections we make along the way.
August 30, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Andrew Gaudion
THN
The funny is well earned, and the filmmaker parcels them out carefully so as not to ruin the overall mood of A Man Called Ove, a film that captures the spirit of the book and translates it beautifully to the big screen.
April 28, 2020
Steven Prokopy
Third Coast Review
Besides lots of black humor, A Man Called Ove is a fun character study that shows the power of community and the benefits of diversity.
February 5, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Jorge Ignacio Castillo
Planet S Magazine…
Plot
59 year old Ove is the block’s grumpy man who several years earlier was deposed as president of the condominium association, but he could not give a damn about being deposed and therefore keeps looking over the neighborhood with an iron fist. When pregnant Parvaneh and her family moves into the terraced house opposite and accidentally backs into Ove’s mailbox it turns out to be an unexpected friendship. A drama comedy about unexpected friendship, love and the importance of surrounding yourself with the proper tools.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Rolf Lassgård’s affectingly flinty performance in the title role keeps A Man Called Ove from succumbing to excess sentimentality.
Hannes-Holm.jpg
