A Man Called Otto releases in cinemas across India on February 10, 2023. Sony Pictures Entertainment India provided early screeners to IGN India before the public.
The last five years mark a rather low point in the storied career of the great Tom Hanks. Over this period, the two-time Academy Award-winning actor’s best performance featured just his voice in his evergreen role of Woody in Toy Story 4. While there have been some ups, including his turn as Fred Rogers in 2019’s A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, we also can’t forget his abhorrent take as Colonel Tom Parker in last year’s Elvis.
However, in the Marc Forster-directed A Man Called Otto, Hanks brings his A-game, as the grumpy, lonely widow, Otto Anderson. In the remake of the 2015 Swedish film, A Man Called Ove, which is based on the 2012 novel by Fredrik Backman, Hanks’ character lives in a Pennsylvania neighborhood featuring a varied group of residents.
Right from the get-go, the film plants the idea about Hanks being an ill-tempered man, as he argues with a supermarket employee for charging a few cents extra for a rope he’s trying to buy. However, the film takes a sudden shift when it’s later revealed that Otto plans to use the rope to hang himself, as he spirals downward following the death of his wife, Sonya. The film’s plot shares resemblance to Ricky Gervais’ hit Netflix series, After Life, where the protagonist played by the popular British comedian also attempted to kill himself following the death of his wife.
Other than the core plot, both the film and the series share more resemblances than you think. Just like After Life, A Man Called Otto imbibes comedic moments during moments of despair. However, unlike Gervais’ take on the subject matter, the film fails to balance the two vastly different tones properly.
In the first quarter of A Man Called Otto, Hanks effortlessly plays the brooding character. However, with the introduction of his new neighbours, the Tommy and Marisol family sees the character take a step back when it comes to being annoying to the people around. This sudden change causes the film to take a downturn due to the conflicting tones of Hanks’ suicide attempts and his efforts to be a kind-hearted neighbour. In the end, it would have made more sense for the film to stick to Otto’s weird grouchy antics for a while like his obsession with parking tickets being placed on the rearview mirror of a resident’s car, as they brought in a ton of levity.
The film has its fair share of emotional moments, with the final few minutes being real tearjerkers. However, the film doesn’t really bring anything new to the drama genre of a grumpy man with a big heart (Otto literally has a larger than normal heart to drive home the point). With the film having a challenging time juggling the dark and light tones, it makes sense for the story to walk the middle ground. In the end, A Man Called Otto plays it safe by tugging on the audience’s heartstrings by employing the service of Tom Hanks’ charm instead of being bold with the story.
When it comes to the performances, Hanks gives his best in recent years, as he plays a begrudged man, who finds others to be ‘idiots’ walking around him. Alongside the several hilarious moments he’s shown to be a part of, Hanks goes the extra mile during the film’s bleakest minutes. This includes the occasions when he stares death right down the barrel. The rest of the cast don’t have much to offer except for Mariana Treviño, who played the pregnant Marisol. Every scene involving the Mexican actor will bring a smile to your face as she plays the bumbling mother of two to perfection. The character is the opposite of Hanks’ Otto, and the film’s best scenes involve the two. Tom’s son Truman also makes an appearance as a young Otto, whose life with Sonya is shown to be vastly different before the latter’s death.
In conclusion, the film can be described as a safe yet enjoyable outing for Tom Hanks. However, it’s also a case of missed opportunities, as A Man Called Otto had all the ingredients to push for a film with a mighty question around the lonely life that we all must accept during our final few moments.
Tom Hanks gives his best performances in some time as the lonely, grump widow Otto in a film which had all the makings of a much potent film. It could easily have questioned audiences about the idea of accepting the reclusive life that one must accept during old age. Instead, A Man Called Otto plays it safe, with director Marc Forster opting for tear-jerking scenes and moments that will tug your heartstrings because of the rather bland plot. It doesn’t break new ground in the drama genre of “old guy with a soft heart.”
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