There’s a distinct compassion disguised by cynicism in Marc Forster’s A Man Called Otto that tricks us into thinking its protagonist is a cold, lonely old man. But this is far from the truth as we’re taken into the life of someone whose concern for others runs so deeply it can almost physically hurt. Adapted from Fredrik Backman’s novel, “A Man Called Ove,” the film follows a widowed and depressed man as he reminisces on his past and tries to move through a life that often feels meaningless without a family to share it with.
Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks) is immediately presented as a severely depressed man, whose many suicide attempts are put on hold by nagging neighbors and the incompetence in humanity that drives him to the conclusion that life after his wife’s passing is devoid of meaning. However, the other more hopeful perspective the film offers is that Otto has an instinctive will to help others, no matter how “idiotic” they may seem, and whether he is aware or not, it’s his own desire to fix broken things that actually brings out his true nature.
Otto’s new neighbors (Marina Treviño, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) become both a new addition to the list of neighbors he keeps in check, and a wake-up call that reminds him that family can appear in more ways than one. Treviño as Otto’s new pregnant neighbor gives an outstanding portrayal of a stubborn yet bubbly woman who challenges him to rethink his cynicism and embrace the qualities of empathy that he mistakes for an aversion to carelessness. Hanks and Treviño make a great on-screen friendship that displays familial love so beautifully
The film uses comic relief in conjunction with its protagonists’ depression so seamlessly that it’s hard not to feel genuinely stressed watching Otto’s recurring attempts to end his life. But each time, whether it may seem like divine intervention or a frustration with neighbors who can’t park a U-Haul, the real reason each of his attempts falls through is his unwavering need to help people, though he may think of it as correcting people’s reckless mistakes.
A Man Called Otto takes a wholesome approach to some extremely sensitive themes in a way that at times has a Hallmark Original Movie sort of feeling to it because its main character simply can’t help himself from being the neighborhood hero. And it’s this quality in Otto that makes for a kind of dramatic irony in which the audience knows he’s nothing but a grumpy old sweetheart, but he believes he’s just doing his part to rid himself of stupidity. Simply put, Otto could be moments away from the afterlife, but still find time to give his neighbor driving lessons.
Forster’s latest film is one that reinforces Hanks as America’s father, neighbor and grandfather. It has an incredibly wholesome interior despite depicting explicitly morbid and sensitive themes, but the film still feels like it captures the essence of an ill-tempered, lovable old man. Maybe equally as difficult as watching the film’s darkest moments is trying not to cry tears of joy when we’re left reminded that kindness is appreciated, but kindness turned into action is love.
Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures
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