Monday, January 16, 2023
A Man Called Otto
This is director Marc Forster’s remake of the 2015 Swedish film “A Man Called Ove”. Tom Hanks is perfect as the lovable curmudgeon, Otto, who thinks everyone is an idiot. He is a recent widower who is a very neat & tidy, by-the-rules kind of guy. Mariana Treviño is excellent as the pregnant new neighbor, Marisol, with the useless husband & 2 charming daughters. Hanks’ son, Truman, plays the younger Otto. The cat steals its scenes. This comedy/drama is heartwarming, bittersweet, & a tearjerker. It’s about family, friends. neighbors, & purpose. Told with flashbacks, it’s like peeling back layers of an onion to reveal Otto’s true story. I️ viewed the Ove version the night before & I️ liked this version a little better. Maybe a little was lost in translation or in the struggle to read subtitles & watch the screen. They both follow the same blueprint with only minor variations. Each had done some scenes better than the other. The less you know about the film, the better experience you’ll have as the story unfolds.
Alien gives it 3½ “cars, trains, & bicycles” stars it of 4.
