A man named Otto , 2022.
Directed by Mark Foster.
Starring: Tom Hanks, Mariana Trevino, Callie Hyman, Rachel Keller, Truman Hanks, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Cameron Britton, Mike Birbiglia, Elle Chapman, Lovell Schley, Josephine Lindegaard, Kelly Lamore Wilson, Spencer Greniz, Juanita Jennings, Christiana Monto , Juanita. Mangerico, John Donahue, Peter Lawson Jones, Alessandra Perez, Greg Alan Martin, Robin Parrish, and Nayab Hussain.
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Otto is a villain who gave up his life after losing his wife and wants to end it all. When a young family moves in, they meet their partner, the witty Marisol, leading to a friendship that will change their world.
While The Man Named Otto is heartfelt and well-acted, there isn't much here to justify the existence of this remake of The Man Named Ove . Director Mark Forster (adapted as a Swedish adaptation of Hannes Holm's novel, from a screenplay by David Magee) seems aiming to move on to the emotional and sentimental side, stripping away some of the antics of the story and turning it into a more acceptable to a majority audience. . . If Tom Hanks' grumpy lead in Father America doesn't win you over, Thomas Newman's sweet music will.
In Tom Hanks' defense, his angry demeanor as a grieving, suicidal Otto is funny and comes from a place of genuine emotion, even if all the stitched punches sound like a calling card for the lack of them. The script works best when it operates in the realm of black humor; In the opening scene, Otto argues with employees at a hardware store, including a manager half his age whom he calls Karen, for an extra 30 cents (the payment system can't do that) for two meters of rope when he only needs five. meters with meter).
The rope is of course for hanging. Otto doesn't usually kill himself, which is darkly funny, even if the circumstances surrounding his despair are sad and downright tragic. The thing is, at least this new Americanized version has enough guts to drop something of value, including an effectively crafted tonal whip; After the rope snaps and Otto falls face down, he notices a coupon for flowers and decides to buy them and go to his late wife Sonia's grave. During this desperate suicide attempt, Otto has flashbacks to his past, with a cute and strangely rewritten encounter between him and Sonia, though Truman Hanks and Rachel Keller's performances are quite charming.
Otto's immediate neighborhood is populated by people he thinks are stupid because they usually need the help of a handyman, don't follow normal rules, or generally annoy him. One such group is a new family moving in, led by the well-intentioned and pregnant Marisol Mariana Treviño, who introduces her to her kind but intelligent husband Tommy (Manuel García-Rulfo), who makes a disastrous mistake parking a car across the street. Same time. . Perhaps his home-cooked food, his kindness, and his tenacity (as long as Otto wants to give up) will melt his heart, which is currently frozen like a snowy environment.
Through their interactions, Marisol quickly realizes that Otto is not rude most of the time and communicates harshly. Likewise, the former engineer begins to treat less intelligent people with a little more sympathy, as he realizes that everyone, no matter how inventive they are, depends on someone else for something and can stay away until they understand better. these people. .
Elsewhere, a former employee is paralyzed and unable to speak, being cared for by his wife. Part of their story emerges in flashbacks and reenactments as Otto tries to help them save their house from a shady realtor who wants to replace it with an apartment. Gaps related to Sonya's death are also filled in, leading to a plot that doesn't seem clear but nonetheless says more about Otto. And instead of befriending a young gay neighbor who was kicked out by his father, in this version Otto offers sympathy and a room to a young trans man, because if there's one thing American remakes are good at, it's telling stories to update. . for the period but with half the character detail. For example, Otto also went viral after saving a life. Although, curiously, this addition seems reasonable. So utterly useless.
A Man Called Otto is essentially the same movie as its Swedish counterpart, but softer and smoother. It's okay for Tom Hanks to weave those snarls with humor and overlays, but too often he gets bogged down in sentimentality and recollection. It's a shame because Tom Hanks and Mariana Treviño have a touching emotional chemistry that is often undermined by the emotions that surround them.
The movie is very similar to Otto's flop with heart defects. But there are worse things than having a heart that is too big for a movie. Call Uwe instead, but if you really can't handle subtitles, Otto will.
Brilliant Myth Rating – Movie: ★★★ / Movie: ★★★
Robert Koider is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the editor of Flickering Myth. Stay tuned for more feedback, follow me on Twitter or Letterboxd or email [email protected].
