A Man Called Otto is an adaptation of Swedish Novel ‘A Man Called Ove’. The novel has been adapted twice, first adaptation was done by the Swedish Cinema in 2015 by the same name ‘A Man Called Ove’ and this Tom Hanks starrer is the second adaptation of the novel. A Man Called Otto has a good amount of comedy and drama but it lacks the emotional touch. The film tells us that life doesn’t come to an end when someone close to us passes away and we should learn to move on and should keep ourselves engaged in other activities which give us happiness.
Anderson Otto (Tom Hanks) is a grump who’s given up on life following the loss of his wife and wants to end it all. When a young family moves in nearby, he meets his match in a quick-witted pregnant woman named Marisol (Mariana Treviño), leading to a friendship that turns his world upside down.
The tagline of the film is – Fall In Love With The Grumpiest Man In The World and I bet you after watching this film you will surely fall in love with Forrest Grump i.e. Tom Hanks.
Tom Hanks shines in this decent dramedy and you will love his comic timing. The character of Otto is hilarious, grumpy, serious, and humorous. Dialogue delivery of Tom Hanks is damn good. Tom Hanks has given many memorable performances in films like Forrest Gump, The Green Mile, Saving Private Ryan, Catch Me If You Can, Cast Away, Philadelphia, The Terminal, etc. The character of Otto seemed to be a tailor made role for the acting legend Tom Hanks. Mariana Treviño deserves an applause for her acting, she is a total riot in the film and whenever she appears on the screen, fun is guaranteed. Mariana Treviño has some Mexican dialogues in the film as she plays the role of a Mexican neighbor, and believe me even if you don’t understand the language you will love the way she delivers those dialogues. Truman Hanks, son of Tom Hanks plays the role of young Otto and the casting looks very authentic and the role suits him very well. The rest of the cast is fabulous.
Direction of Marc Foster is decent, but could have been better. The film is 126 mins long and I feel that slight trimming would have made it better. Those flashback scenes may bore you a little and at some point you might also find the film repetitive. You will laugh at those funny dialogues and punchlines but won’t feel much for any character emotionally. The emotional connection would have made this one much better than what it is. Cinematography is impressive. A Man Called Otto has many enjoyable moments which will bring a smile to your face. If you’re looking for a decent dramedy, slice of life film, heart touching story to some extent then you can give it a try and you won’t get disappointed. And if you’re a fan of Tom Hanks then this one should be definitely on your watch list.
The film is all set to release in cinemas on 10th February, 2023.
Rating – 3/5*
Below is the trailer link:
