Do you speak Swedish? You had better because the only full-length version of "A Man Called Ove" I could find on YouTube was in its original Swedish version "En Man Som Heter Ove".
It's based on the book by the same name, a wonderful feel-good story, about a cantankerous old man called Ove and set in a small Swedish town. And, no, it's not just another version of "The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out a Window and Disappeared" by fellow-Swedish author Jonas Jonasson, but and exploration of contemporary themes affecting most western countries today. The book is full of little pearls of wisdom:
"Loving someone is like moving into a house. At first you fall in love with all the new things, amazed every morning that all this belongs to you, as if fearing that someone would suddenly come rushing in through the door to explain that a terrible mistake had been made, you weren't actually supposed to live in a wonderful place like this. Then over the years the walls become weathered, the wood splinters here and there, and you start to love that house not so much because of all its perfection, but rather for its imperfections. You get to know all the nooks and crannies. How to avoid getting the key caught in the lock when it's cold outside. Which of the floorboards flex slightly when one steps on them or exactly how to open the wardrobe doors without them creaking. These are the little secrets that make it your home."
I recommend "A Man Called Ove", both the book and the movie, to anyone who enjoys a feel-good story that is well written. If you have enjoyed "The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out a Window and Disappeared", then you will love "A Man Called Ove". Anyone with a love for Sweden will enjoy the poignant descriptions of the landscape and unique Swedish quirks of the people.
