Is A Man Called Otto a bit manipulative and certainly predictable? Yes it is! But do I care? Not one bit. Hanks and his costars sell this chicken-soup-for-the-soul style film and make it so wonderfully watchable. It may not be a great movie but it is a great watch and that's 90% of the battle.
This is an American remake of a Swedish film, which was an adaptation of a book and in some ways it feels like it's been put through the ringer. But what comes out in the end is a feel good tear jerker. Look up "crowd pleaser" in the dictionary and A Man Called Otto would fit the bill.
A bit of a family project (produced by Hanks' spouse and starring his son as a younger version of his character) A Man Called Otto feels like a labour of love. A lot of it feels forced but it's just so sweet you want to forgive it's faults and just let yourself enjoy the story. Yes my eyes misted a bit. It would be hard to imagine anyone but Hanks pulling this off. But it isn't just him. His supporting cast, including the delightful Mariana Treviño, just fills the film with joy.
Director Foster is no slouch and he walks a fine line here. He manages to tone down the schmaltz (which is a bit accomplishment with this story) and just let the strengths of the film standout, especially its cast. You won't be disappointed in giving over 2 hours of your time to Otto.
A Man Called Otto
Starring: Tom Hanks, Mariana Treviño, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, Tuman Hanks, Cameron Britton, Juanita Jennings, Peter Lawson Jones, Rachel Keller
Director: Marc Foster,
Writer: David MaGee
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