A Man Called Otto
A Man Called Otto
Starring Tom Hanks, Mariana Trevino, Rachel Keller, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo
Directed by Marc Forster
Starring Tom Hanks, Mariana Trevino, Rachel Keller, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo
Directed by Marc Forster
The stereotype of the angry old man exists for a reason: we all know in our real lives at least one older gentleman who hates the world and everyone in it, who possesses a steadfast scowl and in a gruff voice warns kids to keep off his yard. More often than not we tend to either ignore him or steer clear of him, only considering him as a Negative Nelly who shouldn't be approached because he won't have a nice thing to say. This is to our own detriment as well as his, as we oftentimes forget that this guy wasn't always this grumpy, and life has dealt him severe blow after blow, where now not only is he preparing to face the finality of his life, but he's probably lost family, friends, and especially his significant other in the process which is why he's so angry and grumpy - it's his only means of coping, in a world that's abandoned him. "A Man Called Otto" tells the story of one such man, a suicidal widower who wants nothing more than to be reunited with his dearly departed, but due to neighbors who won't let him go, realizes that there's still a lot of beauty in life if he opens his heart to it.
Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks) is a grumpy old man who lives in a blocked-off apartment complex where he daily checks to make sure everything is running smoothly - recycling is in the right bins, parking placards are visible on the car visors, and the gates are closed and locked. He has no time to chitchat with the neighbors, and when he goes home all he does is plan on different ways to kill himself so he can be with his wife Sonya (Rachel Keller), who passed away a few months previously. Yet despite every attempt, he's thwarted by nosy neighbors or happenstance, one of which is the arrival of a young family including mother Marisol (Mariana Trevino), father Tommy (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and their two young daughters. Marisol reaches out to the gruff Otto, but he maintains his negative attitude toward her - at first at least. As the days go by and she continues to show kindness to him, he slowly begins to open up and face the past hurts that made him the way he is now, and seeing that there's still good and light in life if he chooses to let it in.
"A Man Called Otto" is the American remake of the 2015 Oscar-nominated Swedish film "A Man Called Ove," which is based on a novel by the same name, and both are parallels of one another: both feature an older man who has given up on life because he feels life isn't worth living now that his wife is gone, and through different circumstances finds a new family and a new hope for living. It's an uplifting tale that'll surely bring a tear or two to your eye (it did for me, at least) and give you hope for the future, as well as the ability to see people for who they really are on the inside, and not the facade they placate to hide the hurt that they're feeling. It's an opportunity for us to be better humans to one another, to be a family when a family doesn't exist, and show compassion, grace, and love to those who we might not think deserve it.
Tom Hanks is a consummate professional who puts his all into whatever he does, and "Otto" is no exception. His natural charm belies his gruff exterior, as we see through flashbacks (in a nod of casting genius, director Marc Forester cast Tom Hanks's son Truman Hanks as a young Otto) that Otto wasn't always this way (well, he kind of was, but he was at least nicer), but his whole world changed when he met Sonya. The life they lived together was filled with light and love, but also heartache and sadness, but for Otto, "life began when Sonya arrived, and ended when she did." It really sheds light on grief and sadness, and how we have all faced that in our lifetimes - or if we haven't yet, we surely will - and how we try to cope in those situations. For Otto, it's a bad way as he tries again and again to kill himself to be with Sonya, seeing nothing worth living for - but as it seems, and as his neighbor says later on, he is terrible at dying. Of course it's fate that steadies death's hand, as Otto finds a new reason for living and a new hope for the future as he opens himself up to his neighbors and learns that family isn't blood, but those who truly love you.
Mariana Trevino is the bright shining light in "Otto" as the always upbeat and positive neighbor Marisol, who manages to break through Otto's defenses and save a man's life. She has an infectious personality where you can't help but smile as she endures her own problems as well, but does so with a smile on her face. Whether it's learning how to drive or learning to deal with Otto's constant negativity, she's a continual bright light not just in Otto's life, but our lives as well. She is the person we should all aspire to be: to see the good in people who no one else sees, and to show compassion and grace because we never truly know what's happening in someone else's life that makes them the way they are.
Likewise the rest of the supporting cast all have their moments to shine. Be it Manuel Garcia-Rulfo's Tommy (whom Otto repeatedly refers to as an "idiot" but as Marisol's husband also exudes a heart of gold), to Otto's workout neighbor Jimmy, and especially Mack Badya's Malcolm - a transgender student who Sonya took under her wing when she was his teacher, and whom Otto also opens up to after he's kicked out of his home for being transgender - there's never a moment wasted where you're not left with either a smile on your face or a tear falling down your cheek - or both at the same time.
Some films like this force your hand and manipulates you to feel a certain way, but "A Man Called Otto" traverses the tough themes in a natural, organic way where you feel deep down inside the emotions that swell up inside you, rather than an outer surface feeling. It's a film that challenges your beliefs on how you see other people, especially the gruff older generation who seemingly only sees the negative in everything, and forces you to re-think your deep-seeded prejudices toward them. We all have a story, we all have problems, and we all need one another in this topsy-turvy world. We can never do it alone, and we need to open up to allow strangers to become friends, and eventually become family, because through this we find true love, forgiveness, and hope. That's the message this film conveys brilliantly, and one that proves you don't need blood to be family.
The Score: A-
Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks) is a grumpy old man who lives in a blocked-off apartment complex where he daily checks to make sure everything is running smoothly - recycling is in the right bins, parking placards are visible on the car visors, and the gates are closed and locked. He has no time to chitchat with the neighbors, and when he goes home all he does is plan on different ways to kill himself so he can be with his wife Sonya (Rachel Keller), who passed away a few months previously. Yet despite every attempt, he's thwarted by nosy neighbors or happenstance, one of which is the arrival of a young family including mother Marisol (Mariana Trevino), father Tommy (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and their two young daughters. Marisol reaches out to the gruff Otto, but he maintains his negative attitude toward her - at first at least. As the days go by and she continues to show kindness to him, he slowly begins to open up and face the past hurts that made him the way he is now, and seeing that there's still good and light in life if he chooses to let it in.
"A Man Called Otto" is the American remake of the 2015 Oscar-nominated Swedish film "A Man Called Ove," which is based on a novel by the same name, and both are parallels of one another: both feature an older man who has given up on life because he feels life isn't worth living now that his wife is gone, and through different circumstances finds a new family and a new hope for living. It's an uplifting tale that'll surely bring a tear or two to your eye (it did for me, at least) and give you hope for the future, as well as the ability to see people for who they really are on the inside, and not the facade they placate to hide the hurt that they're feeling. It's an opportunity for us to be better humans to one another, to be a family when a family doesn't exist, and show compassion, grace, and love to those who we might not think deserve it.
Tom Hanks is a consummate professional who puts his all into whatever he does, and "Otto" is no exception. His natural charm belies his gruff exterior, as we see through flashbacks (in a nod of casting genius, director Marc Forester cast Tom Hanks's son Truman Hanks as a young Otto) that Otto wasn't always this way (well, he kind of was, but he was at least nicer), but his whole world changed when he met Sonya. The life they lived together was filled with light and love, but also heartache and sadness, but for Otto, "life began when Sonya arrived, and ended when she did." It really sheds light on grief and sadness, and how we have all faced that in our lifetimes - or if we haven't yet, we surely will - and how we try to cope in those situations. For Otto, it's a bad way as he tries again and again to kill himself to be with Sonya, seeing nothing worth living for - but as it seems, and as his neighbor says later on, he is terrible at dying. Of course it's fate that steadies death's hand, as Otto finds a new reason for living and a new hope for the future as he opens himself up to his neighbors and learns that family isn't blood, but those who truly love you.
Mariana Trevino is the bright shining light in "Otto" as the always upbeat and positive neighbor Marisol, who manages to break through Otto's defenses and save a man's life. She has an infectious personality where you can't help but smile as she endures her own problems as well, but does so with a smile on her face. Whether it's learning how to drive or learning to deal with Otto's constant negativity, she's a continual bright light not just in Otto's life, but our lives as well. She is the person we should all aspire to be: to see the good in people who no one else sees, and to show compassion and grace because we never truly know what's happening in someone else's life that makes them the way they are.
Likewise the rest of the supporting cast all have their moments to shine. Be it Manuel Garcia-Rulfo's Tommy (whom Otto repeatedly refers to as an "idiot" but as Marisol's husband also exudes a heart of gold), to Otto's workout neighbor Jimmy, and especially Mack Badya's Malcolm - a transgender student who Sonya took under her wing when she was his teacher, and whom Otto also opens up to after he's kicked out of his home for being transgender - there's never a moment wasted where you're not left with either a smile on your face or a tear falling down your cheek - or both at the same time.
Some films like this force your hand and manipulates you to feel a certain way, but "A Man Called Otto" traverses the tough themes in a natural, organic way where you feel deep down inside the emotions that swell up inside you, rather than an outer surface feeling. It's a film that challenges your beliefs on how you see other people, especially the gruff older generation who seemingly only sees the negative in everything, and forces you to re-think your deep-seeded prejudices toward them. We all have a story, we all have problems, and we all need one another in this topsy-turvy world. We can never do it alone, and we need to open up to allow strangers to become friends, and eventually become family, because through this we find true love, forgiveness, and hope. That's the message this film conveys brilliantly, and one that proves you don't need blood to be family.
The Score: A-
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