WIN Movie Tix to &39A Man Called Ove&39

WIN Movie Tix to &39A Man Called Ove&39

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Posted 2017-03-26 by West End Girlfollow

Thu 30 Mar 2017

WIN Movie Tix to & #39 ;A Man Called Ove& #39 ;

Swedish film A man called Ove is a black comedy that manages to rise above its cliches to be both moving and funny.

Ove (Rolf Lassgard) is a grumpy old guy who stalks the paths of his townhouse estate, zealously locking gates, reprimanding rule-breakers, and confiscating illegally parked bicycles. He's not popular, and it's easy to see why.

He's also not happy, although the reasons for that take a little longer to emerge. Little by little we become privy to his backstory -- a mother lost young, a tough coming of age, and a much-loved wife who has died too soon.

All of this has given Ove a less than glowing outlook on life, so much so that he is now contemplating suicide. But then his first effort to hang himself is rudely interrupted by the arrival of his boisterous new neighbours, a cross-cultural family with an Iranian wife, less-than-competent Swedish husband, and two enthusiastic daughters.

From here, we traverse familiar movie territory: Ove rediscovers a human connection as he gets to know his neighbours and they come to understand his strengths as well as his obvious weaknesses. Throw in subplots about a lost cat, another resident facing an unwilling transfer to a nursing home, and a young gay boy turfed out by his father, and there's plenty here that could qualify as 'heartwarming' in a fairly predictable sense.

But, interestingly, this film (based on the best-selling Swedish novel by Fredric Backman, and an award winner in its home country) still worked for me. Lassgard's performance is strong and unflinching, and Bahar Pars as neighbour Parvaneh provides a similarly strong counterpoint as a woman who takes no nonsense from either her husband or Ove.

Ove's repeated efforts -- and failures -- to suicide are morbidly funny, and the minor characters are both likeable and moving in their own ways.

Perhaps most importantly, though, A man called Ove addresses an increasingly important issue in the West -- the isolation of the elderly and how we come to understand and spend the later part of our life in cultures that don't necessarily provide extended family to care for us. It is also many people's personal story -- how does one withstand life's slings and arrows without becoming bitter and despondent?

A Man Called Ove doesn't sugarcoat these issues, but it does show that reaching out to others is often the best way to begin to create happiness. And also why the Saab is the only car any self-respecting Swede should drive.

**A Man Called Ove will launch nationally on 30 March, screening at the Palace Centro and Regal Twin in Brisbane. I have six in-season double passes to give away to some lucky readers.

To enter, email [email protected] by noon Sunday 1 April and tell me in one sentence your best strategy for overcoming your own grumpiness! We also need to know your name and mailing address in case you win.**

#brisbane_city
#comedy
#competitions
#film_reviews
#march
!date 30/03/2017 -- 30/03/2017
%wnbrisbane
138041 - 2023-06-13 14:16:07

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