A Man Called Otto

Story: After the death of his wife, Otto (Tom Hanks) , a grumpy old man who cannot tolerate fools, loses his will to live and love. His suicidal plans are thwarted by his chirpy new Mexican neighbour (Mariana Treviño).

Review: Otto keeps with Tom Hanks’ tradition of celebrating human values through lonely lead characters that are good-hearted introverts and thus perceived as social misfits. Even as everyone else has moved onto churning big screen spectacles, Hanks has consistently celebrated everyday unsung heroes through his films. “The (superhero) tide will turn and the audiences will be attracted to movies and characters that reflect their daily lives. The ones that always remain with you are real human stories," said the actor in his interview with us, a few years ago. Hollywood’s quintessential good guy walks the talk as his films reflect this thought process. Fun, pacy and heartfelt, though predictable, the film does its job well. You will cry buckets despite foreseeing the end.

Directed by Marc Forster from a screenplay by David Magee, the dark comedy is a second film adaptation of the 2012 novel ‘A Man Called Ove’ by Fredrik Backman. If you have seen Ricky Gervais' 'After Life' or remember Jack Nicholson in As Good As It Gets, you know what to expect here. We aren’t built to live isolated lives. We need people as much as we convince ourselves that we are enough. Foster’s film revolves around this thought. Being open to people opens you to new possibilities and that gives you purpose to live. Otto cannot tolerate idiots. He would rather do things by himself than seek help but along the way he starts believing in people again. His neighbours show him that being loved and cared for is as important as being strong and self-reliant.

The story is predictable and so is the treatment, however it doesn’t dwindle your excitement even once. Tom Hanks packs an emotional punch with his performance. He allows his character’s layers to peel off gradually for you to see through his angst … a big-hearted person who wants to fix things for others. A grumpy widower who resents the world on the outside, soft on the inside.

Giving Hanks company is the wonderful Mariana Treviño, who lends this film its emotional heft. She convinces him to get out of his shell, share his pain and communicate. The humour is clever and the characters endearing.

This is a breezy tragicomedy that's formulaic, yet moving and uplifting.