Britt-Marie Was Here (2019)

This feel-good Swedish hit sees Pernilla August deliver a subtly powerful performance as a woman seizing her second chance at life.

Adapted from the best-selling novel by Fredrik Backman (A Man Called Ove), Britt-Marie Was Here is a touching and uplifting drama from Swedish multi-hyphenate Tuva Novotny.

Seemingly content with the routine of her four-decade marriage, diligent housewife Britt-Marie (August) is thrown for a loop when she discovers her husband has been cheating on her. Forced to reconsider her life, Britt-Marie swiftly accepts the only job offered to her – the wildly unsuitable role as coach of the youth soccer team in the backwater town of Borg.

Despite her lack of experience, Britt-Marie is given a crash-course in teamplay and tactics from her exuberant new charges, and gradually opens herself up to a delightful cast of secondary characters (the extended cast is refreshingly reflective of contemporary Sweden’s multicultural population).

Industry stalwart Pernilla August deftly portrays Britt-Marie’s affecting journey out from her comfort zone and into a life lived on her own terms. Compassionate and droll in equal measure, Britt-Marie Was Here is sure to charm.