[Movie Review] A Man Called Otto (2022)
Plot Summary: 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.
Director: Marc Forster
Writers: David Magee (screenplay by), Fredrik Backman (based upon the novel 'A Man Called Ove' by), Hannes Holm (and the film 'A Man Called ove' by)
Runtime: 2 hours 6 minutes
Main Cast:- Tom Hanks as Otto
- John Higgins as Hardware Store Clerk
- Mariana Treviño as Marisol
- Rachel Keller Sonya
Review by: Leanne
About two years ago, I happened upon a funny, touching novel called My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry. I enjoyed it so thoroughly that I read another novel by the author, Anxious People, and another, Beartown, and another, A Man Called Ove. Each novel made me love the author a little bit more, but A Man Called Ove clinched it. Fredrik Backman was my new favorite author. When I learned someone had made an American adaptation of Ove, starring Tom Hanks, I was so excited that I texted my husband immediately to tell him to be on the lookout for the screening notification. I wanted to see it as soon as legally possible.
A Man Called Otto is the American adaptation of Fredrik Backman’s novel, A Man Called Ove. It tells the story of Otto (Tom Hanks), a no-nonsense, rule-enforcing, curmudgeon who has recently lost his wife and his will to live. As he meticulously puts his affairs in order, preparing to purposefully join his wife in death, his newest neighbor, a boisterous, talkative, pregnant woman (Mariana Traviño), interrupts his plans and bursts forcefully into his life.
What I Liked:
At first, I was nitpicking and comparing everything to the novel, but there were so many differences that I had to give up and just go with it. That might sound like a bad thing— and I was worried it might be— but it turned out to be wonderful. I got to experience the story I knew and loved in a new way.
Though characters and plot lines were altered or eliminated altogether, the movie captured the spirit and emotion of the novel and did a good job of blending the past and present storylines. I loved Marisol as a character and appreciated that changing her background to being Mexican allowed for the addition of her daughter’s luchador action figures. The movie as a whole was just as sad but heartwarming and funny as the novel. I cried practically the entire time I wasn’t laughing.
The acting was as good as I expected. Tom Hanks was perfect as Otto, really nailing the grumpy old man thing, and Mariana Traviño was exceptional as Marisol. I loved their interactions.
What I Didn’t Like:
It’s a bit of a stretch to say I didn’t like them, but I was a bit disappointed by some of the changes. Though I liked the addition of the trans character, I missed the two separate characters that were blended into him. I missed some of the confrontations and squabbles of the novel as well. I know that they had to cut some things for time’s sake, but I would have gladly sat for longer for the stories of his father-in-law, his own father, the con artist, the family Ove helped on vacation, and, most importantly, Jimmy. Jimmy was in the movie, for sure, but the backstory of his connection to Ove. I know I am referring to the character as Ove here. It is intentional. Those stories were specific to the novel and weren’t a part of Otto’s story.
I also didn’t like that I forgot to prepare to cry, like I usually do when I already know it’s going to happen. Usually, I have a pack of tissues, some pain relievers, and a bottle of water ready, but I was tissue-less. That made it all the worse when the movie made me cry right before the credits rolled. I hate that. I don’t want the lights to come on and expose my ugly cry face to strangers. I definitely had to sit far into the credits to pull myself together enough to leave the theater.
Summary
I loved A Man Called Otto, and I would watch it again. It wasn’t the book, but it still gave me all the feels. I laughed. I cried. I laughed while crying. And, most importantly, my heart was full when it ended, just like the novel. All in all, it had a lot of heart.
