A Man Called Otto

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),…

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…

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…

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