In predictable fashion, Britt-Marie discovers that Kent’s disengagement stems from infidelity. But her reaction is more surprising than Kent’s cheating. With little sentimentality, Britt-Marie leaves her home to make a life of her own. She takes a job in the small town of Borg working at a youth center, where her primary duty is to coach a children’s soccer team. Tight-lipped Britt-Marie is not a natural fit for her lively charges, who have little regard for the order that Britt-Marie exercises over her space. But over time she warms, finding a place for herself in a community that welcomes her ability to tidy up even the most persistent messes.

“Britt-Marie Was Here” is a relatively unchallenging yet ultimately pleasant watch. Despite Britt-Marie’s outsized focus on cleanliness, the director Tuva Novotny forgoes exaggerated style and instead aims to deliver an earnest portrait of an older woman as she pursues happiness. The genial mood is aided by a plucky score, and a restrained performance from August in the lead role. She resists making Britt-Marie’s loneliness maudlin, and as her character’s rigidity softens, August’s restraint with gestures of affection make each smile and each laugh feel like they’ve been hard-earned .

Britt-Marie Was Here

Not rated. In Swedish and German, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 34 minutes.