A Man Called Ove

"It's emotionally manipulative, but its two leads find a core of humanity even in the most calculating plot machinations."

"Lassgard (is)... rock steady without being predictable, or falling into easy caricature, even when the movie veers that way."

"A darkly funny, tragic, and ultimately heartwarming tearjerker ..."

"(Holm's) grip on the film's tricky, tragicomic tone is masterful."

"Beautifully explores the life of (a) neighbourhood’s resident old grump..."

"Keeps the maudlin to a minimum and plays the black comedy just right."

"Not a film to change your view of the world or anything like that, but certainly a pleasant enough sit."

"A Man Called Ove - preaching tolerant togetherness as the key to happiness - earns its sentimentality by striking a delicate balance between barking-mad comedy and syrupy melodrama."

"It's a heartwarming tale about a stubborn, short-tempered man with steadfast beliefs, strict routines and the feeling that everyone around him is an idiot - and no reticence about telling them so."

"Good-hearted stuff, to be sure, but mainly of interest to lovers of cinematic comfort food."

"A bittersweet tale of love, regret and letting go, A Man Called Ove is both heart-wrenching and heart-warming."

""A Man Called Ove" has some tear-jerking moments, but the film is so carefully designed - with long, circular takes that seem to surround the main characters at crucial fateful points - that technique often triumphs over sentimentality."

"A winning combo of black comedy and melancholic melodrama with a Scandinavian twist or three."

"This modest dramedy, deftly directed by Hannes Holm from the best-selling novel by Fredrik Backman, is as sweetly sincere as it is market-driven, with gusts of saving black comedy rolling in to rescue it from excess goo."

"Incorporating fluid flashbacks and snippets of narration that refreshingly serve to enhance rather than distract, director-writer Hannes Holm maintains a gentle, lyrical flow while coaxing fine performances from a diverse cast."

"Holm assumes the audience requires ample evidence of Ove's goodness, and the film loses its footing in backstory melodrama."