Rating: 4 out of 5
Based on a bestselling novel, “A Man Called Otto,” directed by Marc Forster, depicts it across the street. Released on Jan. 13, the film utilizes a tried and true formula: the classic redemption story. Mirroring the likes of “Gran Torino” and “A Christmas Carol,” the film reuses much of these concepts, but to great success.
Tom Hanks stars in the movie as Otto, a grumpy widower who has fallen behind the times. It’s a slight departure from Hanks’ usual characters, as Otto frequently expresses his disdain for his cheerful neighbors, and generally acts like a jerk. It’s a kind of role that he’s found himself playing more often as of recent: a curmudgeonly old man. But he captures the heart of the role anyways, managing to be a cantankerous yet likable character.
But perhaps even more impressive than Hanks’ performance is the atmosphere that Forster creates with the movie’s muted color palette, creating a grounded, yet bleak feeling to the movie. By doing so, Forster allows the audience to immerse themselves in Otto’s somber attitude on life.
The film is carefully crafted to never feel too bland. Characters contrast the somewhat dry scenery and backgrounds through their vibrance. Marisol (Mariana Travino), Otto’s neighbor across the street, manages to become the first character to break Otto’s toughened exterior through her infectious positivity and goodwill. But Travino’s acting is what really makes her character work, as Marisol’s kindness never feels exaggerated, but simply compliments the rest of the cast.
However, the film does have a few glaring flaws, many of which include the film’s out-of-touch portrayal of social media and other technologies. Most of these scenes are extremely immersion-breaking, with their in-your-face “social media is bad” message that comes off as a comedic skit. Another issue arises from how the film cannot determine its own genre. While the atmosphere of the film remains consistently immersive, the script seems to flip-flop from a serious drama to a comedy with dark undertones. Either one of the two would have worked to create a good film, but it feels a little jarring whenever the movie switches from one to the other.
But these issues hardly matter in the grand scheme, as “A Man Called Otto” isn’t a social commentary film, nor is it fully dedicated to addressing themes of grief and depression. It’s a film that simply attempts to tell a redemption story of a man who has seemingly nothing left to live for, and to that end, it has done so excellently.