Cantankerous and Hanks-worthy: A review of 'A Man Called Otto'

Based on the Fredrik Backman novel of 2012, entitled A Man Called Ove, and inspired by the 2015 Swedish film of the same name, here now is the American adaptation that’s directed by Marc Forster, and stars Tom Hanks - who along with wife Rita Wilson, is listed as a producer. Like the rest of the world, it’s evident that Hanks loved this Swedish tale of a cantankerous curmudgeon/senior citizen who contemplates suicide after his wife passes away; but somehow, despite his cranky exterior, finds a way to embrace life once again.

Peppered with flashbacks to Otto’s younger days, and where he’s portrayed by Tom Hanks’ actual son; the film stays faithful to the book in essence, although several liberties are taken to make the film more accessible to an American audience. In the original story, the new neighbors in the housing estate that Otto/Ove calls home come from Iran, while in the new Forster film, they hail from Mexico. What is intact is the singular love story of how Otto and his wife Sonya, came to be. The transition to an American location doesn’t spoil the basics of what brought them together.

Rather than go into detail about the plotline and narrative, I’ll let you enjoy the unraveling of the story and how the film executes its storytelling. While it may not rekindle the pleasure of reading the novel, there’s enough in the film to make the ones who have not yet read the novel, find this a beguiling, inspiring story.

In fact, I refer to the film as Hanks-worthy, as while it’s a very different story, the emotional heft, and the roller coaster of emotions elicited during the film’s viewing, would be the closest we’ve gotten in a long time from Hanks that can compare with Forrest Gump. Again, there’s a very unique story here in Otto, but I’d say it approximates what we felt in the course of watching Gump.

Mariana Treviño and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo play the husband and wife Mexican neighbors who move in with their two daughters, and the whole film will charm the socks off you. This is especially so with Treviño as the heavily pregnant mother who won’t take no for an answer, as she slowly batters down the walls that Otto has built around him, and has lead him to a life of abject despair and loneliness.

The moral and lessons one takes from the film are rich and abundant. And as with the novel, the magic lies on how real the characters are - how very often in our lives, we’ve encountered an Otto, a Marisol and Tommy (the Mexican couple), and how even the other neighbors of Otto like Jimmy (Cameron Britton), Jones and Anita (Peter Lawson and Juanita Jennings), are such well fleshed out characters.

While the regular showing of A Man Called Otto is slated for Jan. 25, there are special advanced screenings set for Jan. 16 & 17; so if you’re looking for an old school heart-warming film, and have steadfastly appreciated Tom Hanks and his film portrayals, then you won’t go wrong with Otto.