Film Review: ‘A Man Called Otto’: A Homogenized Remake of a Swedish Cult Favorite

Michael Clark
12/27/2022
Updated:
1/5/2024

This past calendar year, professionally speaking, has not worked out well for Tom Hanks. He appeared in three films (“Elvis,” “Pinocchio,” and now “A Man Called Otto”), and none of them come close to matching his glory days of the 1990s or early 2000s (or even his post “Bosom Buddies” 1980s upstart phase).

His uncharacteristically widely off-the-mark rendition of Col. Tom Parker in “Elvis” was (in the opinion of many, myself included) the biggest reason preventing that film from achieving greatness. The disaster that was “Pinocchio,” equally despised by critics and audiences, marked a career low for Hanks.

Mariana Treviño and Tom Hanks star in "A Man Called Otto." (Sony Pictures)
Mariana Treviño and Tom Hanks star in "A Man Called Otto." (Sony Pictures)
The (semi) good news about “Otto” is that it’s the best of the 2022 Hanks bunch, which is hardly fawning praise. A remake of the far superior 2015 Swedish “A Man Called Ove” (itself based on the 2012 novel by Fredrik Backman), “Otto” finds Hanks playing an initially unlikable curmudgeon lead who transforms into something closer to the lovable everyman that is the core of his legacy.

Mr. Busybody

A recent widower, Otto is angry at the world, something everyone knows yet he steadfastly denies. He can’t understand why five feet of rope costs more than six. He reorganizes items incorrectly placed in the community recycle bins. He berates his soon-to-be-ex-fellow-employees for throwing him a surprise (forced) retirement party. He chastises neighbors over their failure to clean up after their pets and barks at illegally parked delivery truck drivers.

Otto might as well be named Karen.

Otto meets his match (although he doesn’t realize it at the time) in the form of Marisol (Mariana Treviño), a pregnant woman and mother of two irresistibly charming girls who attempts to counter his gruff exterior with gifts of food—and she largely succeeds.

As charming as Otto is abrasive, Marisol (born in an unspecified Spanish-language-speaking country) calls him out by asking him if he is always as angry and unhappy as he appears, and he is left, unexpectedly, speechless.

Not Intimidated

Marisol crushes Otto with kindness with just the slightest whiff of a hothouse flower, and he discovers that he cannot summarily insult or dress her down. He oh-so-slowly begins to respect her, although she regularly (and unknowingly) thwarts his many attempts at committing suicide.
Otto (Tom Hanks) and Marisol (Mariana Treviño) have little in common, in "A Man Called Otto." (Sony Pictures)
Otto (Tom Hanks) and Marisol (Mariana Treviño) have little in common, in "A Man Called Otto." (Sony Pictures)

This is the part of the review where I reveal (without so much spoiling) that Otto is never successful at killing himself. One can’t make a movie starring Hanks, released at year’s end, where his character offs himself. It’s altogether forbidden.

The mere SUGGESTION that the Hanks character TRIES to kill himself multiple times is the MacGuffin; it’s the distraction that tries to make the film deeper and more moving than it is.

Otto will never succeed in his mission because that would crush the message of this highly manipulative exercise. Displaying overtly negative human behavior for the sole sake of extending narrative disbelief will work for some artsy types, but not the target demographic (Mr. and Mrs. 50-plus Middle America).

To their credit, director Marc Forster and screenwriter David Magee do their level best at peeling away the storytelling onion at as slow a pace as possible. The complete story of Otto’s deceased wife, Sonya (Rachel Keller), isn’t fully revealed until late in the third act, and it goes far in explaining why Otto is so attached to a dog-eared paperback and one particular 25-cent piece.

The casting of Tom’s son Truman Hanks as the younger version of Otto was clever, although his more experienced, eldest son Colin bears more of a resemblance to him.

No Surprises Here

Sorely missing from “Otto” is the element of surprise. Despite its limited appeal (a foreign language film with subtitles) “Ove” was nonetheless a welcomed, out-of-left-field, oddball sleeper.

What is most perplexing about the marketing of the movie, from an “inside baseball” industry perspective, is its suspicious lack of press screenings prior to year-end critics’ associations deadlines, most of which are on or near the final week of November.

Despite being “long in the tooth” as it were, Hanks is still a bankable draw and, although his performance here is formulaically endearing, it’s bewildering why the studio didn’t at the least push him, possibly Treviño, and the film itself for awards consideration.

For those who never saw “Ove” (and that’s, well, almost everyone), “Otto” will dutifully suffice. It’s not steak but neither is it Hamburger Helper. There are far worse ways to spend two-plus hours of your life.

Presented in English and infrequently subtitled in Spanish.
‘A Man Called Otto’ Director: Marc Forster Stars: Tom Hanks, Mariana Treviño, Truman Hanks, Rachel Keller Running Time: 2 hours, 6 minutes MPAA Rating: PG-13 Release Date: Jan. 3, 2023 Rating: 3 out of 5
Originally from Washington, D.C., Michael Clark has provided film content to over 30 print and online media outlets. He co-founded the Atlanta Film Critics Circle in 2017 and is a weekly contributor to the Shannon Burke Show on FloridaManRadio.com. Since 1995, Mr. Clark has written over 4,000 movie reviews and film-related articles. He favors dark comedy, thrillers, and documentaries.
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