Being a good decade older than Tom Hanks' 60-something character in the film, I have long come to the conclusion that the two hardest jobs in the world are raising children and getting old. The first has compensatory benefits, the second not so many.
"A Man Called Otto" reinforces that. Within its quirky humour there is more than an element of truth.
Otto is an abrupt, curmudgeonly character a bit like the roles Walter Matthau used to play or Henry Fonda played in "On Golden Pond". He reminded me of Martin Clunes' "Doc Martin" in his obtuseness.
But it's not just getting older that has caused Otto's bitterness and testiness with just about everything. The film opens as his employer manoeuvres him into retirement. The film flashes back to Otto as a young man (played by Tom Hank's son, Truman Hanks) as he meets and weds Sonya (Rachel Keller), the love of his life. We learn of the challenges they faced, but now she has passed away. One of the most telling scenes is when Otto is in bed and his hand moves across to touch the hand that is no longer there.
Otto tries three classic ways to take his own life, but each one ends farcically in a case of suicide interruptus. A touch of comedy, but there is uneasiness in those scenes nonetheless.
In a way, Tom Hanks' Otto is nearly as unapproachable and isolated as was Tom Hanks' Chuck Noland in "Castaway"
Otto is not only grumpy he's also feisty. He saves a guy who has fallen onto the train tracks while contemplating just that himself. He squares off against younger and bigger guys, even though if he threw a punch, calcium-challenged bones would probably cause more damage to himself than his opponent.
The arrival in his street of a new family and the pregnant Marisol (Mariana Treviño) begins to add warmth and meaning to Otto's life, and they actually benefit from his help. He feels useful and needed.
A gentle, wistful score by Tomas Newman has a beautiful feeling for memory. "A Man Called Otto" may tick off Hollywood's inclusiveness policies one by one, but there is gruff charm to Tom Hank's performance, and the ending hits home. It's a movie you may find yourself thinking about for days after.
"A Man Called Otto" reinforces that. Within its quirky humour there is more than an element of truth.
Otto is an abrupt, curmudgeonly character a bit like the roles Walter Matthau used to play or Henry Fonda played in "On Golden Pond". He reminded me of Martin Clunes' "Doc Martin" in his obtuseness.
But it's not just getting older that has caused Otto's bitterness and testiness with just about everything. The film opens as his employer manoeuvres him into retirement. The film flashes back to Otto as a young man (played by Tom Hank's son, Truman Hanks) as he meets and weds Sonya (Rachel Keller), the love of his life. We learn of the challenges they faced, but now she has passed away. One of the most telling scenes is when Otto is in bed and his hand moves across to touch the hand that is no longer there.
Otto tries three classic ways to take his own life, but each one ends farcically in a case of suicide interruptus. A touch of comedy, but there is uneasiness in those scenes nonetheless.
In a way, Tom Hanks' Otto is nearly as unapproachable and isolated as was Tom Hanks' Chuck Noland in "Castaway"
Otto is not only grumpy he's also feisty. He saves a guy who has fallen onto the train tracks while contemplating just that himself. He squares off against younger and bigger guys, even though if he threw a punch, calcium-challenged bones would probably cause more damage to himself than his opponent.
The arrival in his street of a new family and the pregnant Marisol (Mariana Treviño) begins to add warmth and meaning to Otto's life, and they actually benefit from his help. He feels useful and needed.
A gentle, wistful score by Tomas Newman has a beautiful feeling for memory. "A Man Called Otto" may tick off Hollywood's inclusiveness policies one by one, but there is gruff charm to Tom Hank's performance, and the ending hits home. It's a movie you may find yourself thinking about for days after.