It was back to Cineworld for another Unlimited Screening and this time it was for the new film starring Tom Hanks, A Man Called Otto. The new film is based on the #1 New York Times bestseller A Man Called Ove.
The remake tells the story of Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks), a grumpy man who no longer sees purpose in his life following the loss of his wife (Rachel Keller). Otto is ready to end his life without Sonya, but his plans are interrupted when a lively young family moves in next door, and he meets his match in quick-witted Marisol – she challenges him to see life differently, leading to an unlikely friendship that turns his world around.
I have to say that I haven’t seen the original movie, but after seeing the remake it has got me intrigued to see how this remake compares to the original movie, so I will be checking that out as soon as I can.
A Man Called Otto is one of those movies that pulled me in when I first saw the trailer, although the trailer really doesn’t give you the feeling that you are going to be taken on a journey of mixed emotions throughout the 2h 6m runtime, it really didn’t feel like the film was over 2 hours long, so that’s always a good sign for me.
There were so many moments where I found myself laughing out loud with the dry whit from Tom Hanks’ Otto and the cheerful banter from his new neighbour Marisol (Mariana Treviño) who for me was a scene stealer and such a joy to watch as she and Hanks build a wonderful friendship throughout the film.
You certainly get a warm feeling inside from this film, it’s a down-to-earth film that will pluck at your heartstrings and also give you those moments when it’s OK to laugh at many scenes.
What I love about A Man Called Otto is we are not only given a treat with Hanks and Treviño but the story of Otto’s grumpiness is given to us with some wonderful flashback moments as we learn about his wife, from the moment Otto and Sonya met, their romance, loss and the moment that Otto just can’t go on with his life any longer. The flashbacks work very well and don’t take you too far away from the present-day storyline to distract you.
As the film moves along Otto opens up more to the people in the street and each time he tries to unsuccessfully do away with himself in some ingenious ways, it seems that fate has more in store for him and he has a purpose to his life and should carry on with it.
Director Marc Forster (Finding Neverland) has brought us a delightful and rather emotional film, I wish I had known how emotional A Man Called Otto was ging to be so I could have taken some tissues into the cinema with me.
The cast is great with Tom Hanks (Philadelphia, Forrest Gump, Cast Away), Mariana Treviño (Club de Cuervos), Rachel Keller (Fargo) and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo (The Magnificent Seven). The screenplay is written by Academy Award ®nominee David Magee (Best Adapted Screenplay, Life of Pi, 2012; Best Adapted Screenplay, Finding Neverland, 2004) based upon the best-selling novel “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman, and the film A Man Called Ove by Hannes Holm.
A heartwarming and funny story about love, loss, and life, A Man Called Otto shows that family can sometimes be found in the most unexpected places.
Tom Hanks has a big heart as Otto
Movie title: A Man Called Otto
Movie description: Otto is a grump who's given up on life following the loss of his wife and wants to end it all. When a young family moves in nearby, he meets his match in quick-witted Marisol, leading to a friendship that will turn his world around.
Date published: January 5, 2023
Country: UK
Duration: 2h 6m
Director(s): Marc Forster
Actor(s): Tom Hanks, John Higgins, Tony Bingham
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Summary
A Man Called Otto is a delightful movie that will take you on a journey of emotions.
Karen Woodham is the founder and owner of the Blazing Minds. She is also a Cinema reviewer and works with RealD 3D reviewing the latest 3D releases and IMAX, she has also had several articles published in various publications including the first edition of SFW Magazine. In 2015 she became an Award Winning Blogger and also has her website listed as one of the UK’s Top 10 Film Blogs.
