Tom Hanks stars in A Man Called Otto, a remake of the Swedish film A Man Called Ove, now available on Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
The Production: 4/5
Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks) is an angry old man having difficulty mourning the recent loss of his wife. Compounding matters is a forced early retirement by his employer. Feeling isolated and alone, Otto finds himself chastising others who don’t follow the rules or can’t learn to do things correctly. Otto is so angry that he believes the only thing to do is to end his life so he can be with his wife Sonya (Rachel Keller). Those suicide attempts are constantly thwarted, first by his new neighbors moving in across the street, a young family consisting of a very pregnant Marisol (Mariana Treviño) and her dim-witted husband Tommy (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo). Otto is so upset about Tommy’s inability to parallel park his car and U-Haul trailer that Otto ends up parking them effortlessly, and meets their young daughters in the process who immediately begin to melt his long-hardened heart. It is Otto’s bonding with both Marisol and her children, as well as a stray cat Otto is tricked into adopting, that begin to make Otto realize that regardless of life’s ups and downs, life may be worth living after all.
In recent years, Tom Hanks has shied away from the types of roles that made him such a likeable star in films like Sleepless in Seattle and Apollo 13, taking on more challenging roles that have been hit or miss, such as Fred Rogers in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood or Colonel Tom Parker in Elvis. His portrayal of Otto is realistic and believable, when in the hands of a less refined actor could have come off as a caricature. In fact, there isn’t a bad performance in this film – everyone is well-cast. The real standout is Mariana Treviño as Marisol, the woman who befriends Otto despite his curmudgeoness. There is a real warmth to her portrayal of Marisol, and she and Hanks have some wonderful scenes together, such as the entire sequence where Otto is teaching her how to drive a stick shift, ending up at the pastry shop that he and Sonia used to frequent. Director Marc Forster (Finding Neverland, Christopher Robin) and screenwriter David Magee (Life of Pi, Mary Poppins Returns) take a difficult and often depressing subject (a man contemplating and attempting suicide) and bring in enough humor and warmth to make it more appealing to a mainstream audience.
Video: 4.5/5
3D Rating: NA
A Man Called Otto was photographed using 35mm film stock in the Super 35 process using Panavision Panaflex Millenium XL2 cameras and completed as a 4k digital intermediate in the 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Sony’s Blu-ray release features a rather excellent 1080p AVC-encoded transfer (a 4K digital is also available). The movie overall takes on a rather bluish overtone (much of the film takes place in winter), but flashbacks do contain a much warmer palette. Colors are natural and vivid without appearing overly saturated. Detail is excellent, revealing strong facial features and fabric textures. There is a very light level of noticeable film grain. Contrast is very good, with bright whites and deep blacks, but could have been improved somewhat with the addition of HDR.
Audio: 4.5/5
The Blu-ray release features a very good and rather front-heavy DTS-HD MA 5.1 track for what is basically a dialogue-driven drama. Front soundstage is wide, allowing Thomas Newman’s score room the breathe. LFE is adequate, but there is really not much for it to do but provide some low-end assistance to the score. Dialogue is clear and understandable. Note: the 4K digital from both iTunes and Vudu does include a Dolby Atmos track.
Special Features: 2.5/5
Making of “A Man Called Otto” (1080p; 8:45): Above average EPK behind the scenes featurette, featuring interviews with the main cast as well as director Forster, writer Magee, and producer Rita Wilson (Mrs. Tom Hanks).
Til You’re Home Music Video (1080p; 3:07): Rita Wilson and Sebastian Yatra perform the end title song interspersed with clips from the movie.
In the Studio with Rita Wilson and Sebastian Yatra (1080p; 2:42): The two discuss composing and performing the end title song.
Otto Preps His Car for the Kids (1080p; 1:00): The only deleted scene included on the disc.
Digital Copy: An insert contains a code to redeem an HD digital copy on Movies Anywhere.
Overall: 4/5
A Man Called Otto is an entertaining and inspirational look at a man mourning the loss of his wife and angry at the world who is softened by an unlikely neighbor.
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