Based upon the 2015 Swedish film called A Man Called Ove, which itself was based on the 2012 Fredrik Backman novel, A Man Called Otto is the English language remake helmed by Marc Forster, working off a screenplay by David Magee. Assuming one hasn’t seen the original film, as I haven’t either, the setup for the film is quite simple. Otto (Tom Hanks) is an old curmudgeon who is well known in the neighborhood, and infamous for his devotion to the rules, routines, and regulations in his small community. But when some new neighbors arrive, it adds some chaos that might just break his shell.
Those neighbors are Marisol (Mariana Treviño), her husband Tommy (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and their two young daughters (played by Christiana Montoya and Alessandra Perez). As they settle into the neighborhood, they begin to form a connection to Otto, as much as he might resist. However, Otto is dealing with his own problems, as we see a suicide attempt early in the film, stemming from the loss of his wife Sonya (played in flashbacks by Rachel Keller) of many years, which was also the catalyst of him putting up a wall that has closed him off emotionally from the people around him.
I wouldn’t call this a bad movie by any means, it’s competently made, the performances are solid, and from a writing standpoint, I’d say it’s pretty structurally sound. Of course, when it comes to the writing, it is worth saying that this is exactly the kind of movie you think it is. While the darker elements, like that of Otto’s depression do give the film a slight edge, it is for the most part, exactly the kind of soft, heartwarming, middlebrow dramedy you’d see with the family during the holidays. Which makes it all the more curious that this came out in January.
By the time we meet all the characters, and the general stage has been set, you know exactly where the film is going to go. There is a stray cat that shows up that Otto isn’t particularly fond of. Guess who is going to end up bonding with the cat throughout the film? But I will say that with films like these, the predictability usually isn’t a major factor in the appeal and enjoyment. It’s in the characters, the emotions, and the ways that the story can get you invested in them.
I can’t say I wasn’t invested in the film. Tom Hanks is just a naturally charismatic screen presence, even when playing a total grump. And there’s always a certain appeal to stories about people who start off as grumps, but being more open and vulnerable as the journey goes on. It’s a classic formula for a reason, it’s probably why the original was as popular as it was, and this film doesn’t a solid enough job at applying that formula, mostly thanks to some well seasoned veterans involved in the making of it, even if it does feel limited by it at times for large parts of the film.
Like I said, I haven’t seen the A Man Called Ove, so I don’t know how it compares to A Man Called Otto. Taken as it is, it’s a perfectly serviceable affair that might amuse you well enough in the moment. But I doubt any of this will linger in your mind a few days after seeing it. It’s about as middle-of-the-road as these kinds of unambitious dramedies can go, and there certainly is a time and place for films like this. Ultimately, it’s not one that I felt particularly enlightened by, its emotions are largely superficial, and its humor is safe and stale. I would have hoped for something that appears to be a passion project for Hanks and his family (him and Rita Wilson are producers, Rita also co-wrote and performed a song for the film, Truman Hanks plays a young Otto, and there is a Chet Hanks song featured in the film), but it is what it is.
A Man Called Otto is now out in theaters.