A Man Called Otto is the story of a grumpy old man who will unexpectedly defy your expectations over the course of two hours.

Produced by Tom Hanks and his wife Rita Wilson, the film features an appearance from the couple’s youngest son, Truman Hanks. It is directed by Marc Forster, and the movie debuted on January 13th. It is set in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

A Man Called Otto is a predictable remake of the 2015 Swedish film A Man Called Ove. It was remade to appease viewers looking for some feel-good optimism in the midst of the current cinematic climate of depression, violence, and meanness. It was also adapted to Pittsburgh and made to fit Tom Hanks’ affable personality. The end result of this creation is a follow-the-dots movie with a few charming moments that attempt to be a feel-good crowd pleaser but falls short of having enough originality and insight to be anything extraordinary.

In the film, recently bereaved factory worker Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks) decides that life is no longer worth living and attempts to take matters into his own hands in a series of unsuccessful suicide attempts after being driven into early retirement by a new management. 

When Marisol (Mariana Treviño), his new pregnant Latina neighbor, checks in on him night and day and extends offers of friendship and home cooking, things don’t quite go as planned. 

Eventually, Otto’s initial shock about this new change disappears, and he begins to warm up to Marisol, her husband Tommy (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), and their two small children. 

Despite the talented acting, it quickly becomes evident that the storytelling in the film is inadequate. Flashbacks to previous years, by far the weakest aspect of the movie, are used to show how Otto met his wife, Sonya (Rachel Keller), and how their relationship developed over the years. It’s simpler to laugh at the characters in these sequences than to empathize with them because the conversation is so unnatural and forced.

In A Man Called Otto, Marisol helps bring life back into Otto’s grumpy soul. Treviño is excellent and makes a great counterpoint to Hanks’ misanthrope. As these characters spend more time together, getting to know one another, the movie makes you feel all the emotions. They share many touching scenes together as Marisol tries to bring Otto out of his shell. 

Despite the movie’s shortcomings, what viewers will take away is a humanizing experience from a group of odd people who are discovering that getting along may also be lifesaving. 

Rating: 7/10