DAVID ADAMS watches Tom Hank’s new film about the value of a life shared…
A Man Called Otto (AU-M/UK-15/US-PG-13)
In a word: Life-affirming
Mariana Treviño and Tom Hanks star in Columbia Pictures A Man Called Otto. PICTURE: Niko Tavernise/ © 2022 CTMG, Inc. All rights reserved
Otto Anderson (played by Tom Hanks) is a grumpy old man. Having lost his wife Sonya (Rachel Keller) to cancer six months ago and then been pushed from his job at the local steel plant into retirement, he passes his days telling off the neighbours and putting the world back in order.
“Filled with humour and warmth and yet dealing with some deeply challenging issues, director Marc Forster’s deliberately understated approach in bringing Otto’s story to life is a plus, giving the necessary space for the cast to explore their characters.”
Desperate to be reunited with his wife Sonya, Otto – who reguarly visits her grave to share his thoughts with her – puts in place plans to engineer his own death. But when new neighbours Marisol (Mariana Treviño) and her husband Tommy (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) move into the small gated community in which he lives and impose themselves into his life, Otto’s plans are repeatedly interrrupted as he learns to embrace again the idea of what it means to be needed.
A remake of the hit 2015 Swedish film adaption of Fredrik Backman’s book A Man Called Ove, A Man Called Otto is a moving film that explores the pain of grief and loneliness alongside the value of friendship and a life lived in community with others.
Via a series of flashbacks interspersed throughout the film, we’re taken back through Otto’s life (the younger Otto is played by Hanks actual son, Truman) and shown, through key moments, how he became the man he is; a man whose life is characterised by broken relationships and an increasingly rigid outlook on life.
But as he engages with Marisol and her family and, increasingly, is drawn into helping other neighbours including those forced to face down greedy real estate developers, we see glimpses of the man Otto once was start to emerge, building to a not-unexpected but welcome finale.
Filled with humour and warmth and yet dealing with some deeply challenging issues, director Marc Forster’s deliberately understated approach in bringing Otto’s story to life is a plus, giving the necessary space for the cast to explore their characters (and giving a nod to some of the polarising issues currently being seen in the US and elsewhere along the way).
Hanks proves a good choice for the role of Otto, but it’s Mariana Treviño who almost steals the show in the role of his pushy yet caring neighbour Marisol.
A film with heart.
If you are in the US and are experiencing mental health-related distress or are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988.
In Australia, people looking for help or information can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467.
