Rolf Lassgard is best known here as one of the two Swedes who have appeared as Kurt Wallander in BBC4's Saturday evening slot, and his character in this film could hardly be more different.
Ove is 59, recently widowed, and finding himself out of a job. He's also a busybody, bad tempered and a one man, self-appointed, neighbourhood watch and warden. A grumpy old git.
When a new family moves in opposite they seem determined to befriend him. Whether he wants it or not. As a kind of friendship slowly builds between Ove and the pregnant Parvaneh we see in flashbacks why Ove has turned out to be the person he is and the sadness in his life. There's even a kind of logic to his being so bitter, vindictive and petty. His new Iranian neighbour forces him into a form of mutual dependency and gives him the empathy he needs to reinvent himself.
Lassgard shows a great talent for comedy, and is never less than hilarious when the script gives him the chance. But Ove is a complex character and this is a very moving performance too. If there are times when the film strays into sentimentality I can't begrudge it. Superb.
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