A Man Called Otto: An Interesting Reflection on Life

Formulaic is almost a dirty word when it comes to discussing the plot of a movie. To say it is formulaic is to say that the narrative is derivative or uninspired to the point that the movie itself is entirely not worth watching because others in the past have done it first. A Man Called Otto is definitely formulaic, however the acting performances in the movie elevate it above and beyond the other theatrical offerings in a similar field.

A Man Called Otto stars Tom Hanks as Otto, an older gentleman who has gone through more than his fair-share of misfortune over the course of his life. Most recently, his wife (played by Rachel Keller from Fargo) has passed, his job was dissolved as a result of a merger, and real estate developers are trying to acquire the home he lived in for the duration of his marriage. As his life continues to unravel, Otto contemplates (and attempts) suicide until his new neighbors (Mariana Treviño and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo) move in and give him a new purpose in life.

The strongest part of the movie is the acting performance by Hanks in a role that is unlike where viewers have seen him before. Out of the gate he does not act in his usual loveable manner and the audience is forced to look through his cantankerous demeanor to understand where he is coming from. Hanks’ performance is not the only one worth acknowledging though (especially considering he is a world-class actor in his own right) as Treviño also puts on a fantastic performance. On her own, what she does would be enough to warrant praise, however the fact that she does this while holding her own with an actor on the level of Tom Hanks is incredibly impressive.

The other thing the movie does well is tell the story of Otto and his wife’s relationship through flashbacks, but does it in such a way that the narrative never grinds to a halt to exposit the story and the information that’s being given is always relevant to the viewer compared to where they are in Otto’s journey. On top of this, the flashbacks always include a small tidbit that is going to be relevant in the next scene beyond just what was needed for the previous context. This serves to keep the audience engaged in a unique way going from scene to scene.

At the end of the day, someone who sits down to watch this movie will probably be able to chart out the loose trajectory of where the narrative is going to go over the course of the two hour runtime. It’s not a particularly complex or deep story, however what elevates it is the emotional moments that resonate better than most movies that have come out in the last few years. A Man Called Otto is worth a watch, even if it is after waiting for the movie to come to home media within the next few months, however the benefits of a distraction-free environment with a communal viewing experience definitely adds to the overall emotional resonance of the film.

Final Rating: 9/10