A Man Called Otto

1/9/2023

Fans of the BBC sitcom "One Foot in the Grave" might recognise something of the "Victor Meldrew" in Tom Hanks' portrayal of the eponymous curmudgeon. Formerly head of the community association, he takes it upon himself each morning to do his "rounds" - checking the gates are closed, the permits are displayed, the recycling is correct - all pretty anal, really. A combination of circumstances are about to rock his rather pedestrian world, though. He is laid off after thirty-odd years at work, a deed which renders him pretty rudderless; and he gets new neighbours - "Marisol" (Mariana Treviño), husband "Tommy" (Manuel Garcia-Ruffo) and their two daughters. Now their arrival causes him no end of irritation (and, if truth be told - for me too!). The family are pretty hapless and soon "Otto" find

2/1/2023

A Man Called Otto is heartfelt and sad story about a widowed husband trying to find his place in the world without his wife. It is incredibly touching and can resonate with any audience member no matter the age. Going into the film, I was expecting it to have it's sad moments but there are times where this movie gets very dark. This was a surprise and it is a major tonal shift from the rest of the film. It works really well as this tonal juxtaposition is a metaphor for how Otto is feeling on the inside versus the positivity that is given to him in his every day life. Tom Hanks delivers a great performance here. He had great comedic timing and delivered a tremendous amount of emotion in just his subtle facial expressions. Mariana Treviño was excellent and her chemistry with Hanks is

3/21/2023

I had read the book and watched the original Swedish version of the movie before I had a chance to watch this, so I suppose I had some baggage to carry going into it. But I liked the film, especially the irrepressible Marisol, Otto’s new neighbor next door. I tried to avoid the thoughts of “Was that in the original?” and the like and just let it roll over me. Oddly enough, I wasn’t sure that the two characters that played young and old Otto seemed like the sort who would be DIY experts. I am not sure there is a look for that sort of skill set. Perhaps his social ineptitude planted that doubt in me. But it was worth watching, if not something I will ever feel the urge to repeat.

3/2/2024

Two problems: Hilarious enforcing of Woke Agenda + being too preachy and politically correct.

9/1/2024

#MovieReview #AManCalledOtto Initially hesitant to watch "A Man Called Otto" due to doubts about its ability to captivate my interest, I waited for its streaming release. Tom Hanks' involvement and the lengthy runtime coupled with lackluster promotional material contributed to my hesitation. To my pleasant surprise, the film turned out to be fantastic. With a well-crafted script and Tom Hanks delivering an outstanding performance, the movie was truly remarkable and enjoyable to watch. Witnessing the transformation of an elderly, embittered man into a loving and remarkable character was a highlight. While the movie seems tailor-made for streaming, it still managed to perform decently in theaters, meeting its financial goals. However, I believe its true potential could have been rea

12/11/2024

A Man Called Otto was an incredible surprise for me, as a big Tom Hanks fan, but not in a good way. Tom Hanks starred in, and produced, this film, made popular in some literatary circles who enjoy books of this European very-dry comedy. For many that praise the movie are familiar with the original book, or similarly themed British movies. I wasn't. Simply put, having seen every Tom Hanks movie, this one was simply awful in so many ways. I kept waiting for a turn of events that would pull me in as a viewer, but it never happened. I left feeling depressed and saddened at having wasted two hours of my precious life going through such a terrible journey. Shockingly, this movie is categorized as a "Comedy". Needless to say, I didn't laugh or smile once during the movie. Tom Hanks