User reviews

Good grief there are some really grumpy reviewers out there. This is the perfect vehicle for Tom Hanks and he makes the most of the opportunity. ( I note that he and Rita Wilson are producers ). Yes it is a remake of a classic Swedish movie but this plays out to a much larger audience while retaining the same sentiments. Well written and acted this is great entertainment moving seamlessly from comedy to drama and ultimately packs an emotional punch that makes it memorable and pushes it into one of the best movies of the year . A great reminder of why Tom Hanks has been at the top for so long while providing a break out supporting role for Mariano Trevino who is genuinely both very funny and very moving. Can I also highlight the soundtrack ... especially the Kate Bush single . Highly recommended .

In gentle dramedy "A Man Called Otto" (remaking Sweden's 2015 "A Man Called Ove") Tom Hanks excels (no surprise - what an actor) as the titular widower grieving his late wife (Rachel Keller in flashbacks (with Truman Hanks as the younger version of his actual dad)), preparing to join her, and using grumpiness to fend off friends & neighbours like Mariana Treviño (outstanding), Cameron Britton, Mack Bayda & Juanita Jennings - but might community spirit, mutual disdain for realtor Mike Birbiglia, and a cat warm him up? Director Marc Forster, writer David Magee, and especially Hanks & Treviño bring it all home with understated humour, polish, & quiet class.

While I have seen thousands of hours worth of motion pictures, I have only seen a few that have brought me to tears. I've done multiple tours in the Middle East, I've been in very emotional situations with families, but only a few movies have made me cry. This was a movie I saw, but never found appealing as I'm not the fondest of dramas, but I took the gamble. Within the first 36 minutes, I saw scenes i could relate to, scenes where I've been in those shoes and I had to have a box of tissues avilable. I had to take a few moments and I catch my breath, because this movie was extremely emotional to me, which doesn't happen often. If you need to take a moment and reflect and your own life, take a couple hours, and watch this.

Wow. I was not prepared for that. I thought I was going to see a comedy film about a grumpy man who gets frustrated with his neighbours. I did not expect to be in tears by the end - and not tears of laughter.

I did not have the experience of the original book or film so I went into this with no particular expectations. It's been a long time since a movie touched me in this way.

Tom Hanks excels as Otto in a character so unlike any other he has played before. His own son played his younger self which added a level of authenticity to the role. The supporting cast brought a mix of humour and pathos resulting in beautiful and moving film that hit all the right notes.

Don't go and see this without tissues folks!

The original Swedish version (A man called Ove) is a masterpiece and so I when I watched this remake I was worried that it would be a poor paper version in comparison to the depth of the original. Whilst there is the slight inevitable "warming" of the production for the American audience, I was pleased that the key themes were carried over well and the tweaks made to westernise the story were done delicately and consistently woven throughout the whole of the film.

It's obvious that Tom Hanks had studied the original in minute detail, he really did justice to the portal of the character, owning it but demonstrating awareness of how brilliantly the original Swedish actor had delivered the nuances of this unique depressed and cantankerous old man.

I struggle with subtitles but really enjoyed the Swedish version and recommend you watch it if you enjoyed this one.

I absolutely loved A Man Called Otto I don't know about the original but this movie is a masterpiece! I'll never understand people that don't appreciate new visions of cinema especially ones that are spectacular like this. Regardless Tom Hanks was electrifying in this and Marc Forster directed this so well every scene was engagingly heartwarming, comedic, somber, and very entertaining! The audience I saw with enjoyed quite a bit I'm not sure why others didn't as much. My review might get mixed vibes but I would like to say I'm painfully lonely even though I'm 30 I have autism I'm not as lucky as most maybe one day it'll be different. Phenomenal film no matter what.

The Producers of this film would like you to fall in love with the grumpiest man in America in "A Man Called Otto"...even though it's a remake of a Swedish movie about their grumpiest old man based on the Fredrick Backman book, "A Man Called Ove".

I'd be lying if I said I didn't fall for this movie, unashamedly, hook, line and sinker.

I was expecting the usual something got lost in translation approach from the Americans and churned out sappy cinema, but it wasn't.

Sure it plays on your vulnerable human emotions and you'd have to be made of stone or even more cynical than me not to get the feels as the cool kids say.

I admit that to date I haven't read the book or seen the original Euro version that was the highest grossing foreign film of 2016 in the US, so I don't have those reference points, but what I do know is the Hollywood version deals with some very contemporary issues of social media, transgender and unscrupulous property development well.

The story goes, despite being deposed as head of his gated community (over a valid issue) our grumpy 60 something retiree Otto continues to watch over his neighbourhood with an iron fist.

Checking the gates are closed to through traffic including slimy property developers, also sorting out parking permits and recycling bins on his daily rounds.

When a pregnant new neighbour and her family (including dim witted husband and two gorgeous daughters) move into the house opposite Otto and a stray cat lands on his door step, it sets off a chain of events that changes his life for the better (mostly).

Tom Hanks is "Otto" and is brilliant in his own understated acting style.

He's got to be Oscar bait for this moving role.

Any lesser American actor could have turned this film into a schmaltzy, sugar coated affair.

Otto will make you laugh, cry and sigh so pack some tissues.

"A Man Called Otto" is a beautiful love story retold in timely flashbacks from the present to the past that don't jump all over the place like some movies do leaving you feeling disoriented.

Hanks real life son, Truman, plays "Otto" in his youth.

As the movie progresses you learn where the pain comes from in his life as he opens up like a box of chocolates.

This is my first film review for 2023 and if the rest of this years flicks can be this damn fine I'll be a happy camper.

"A Man Called Otto" has set the bar high for everything that follows.

This is a must see movie for anyone with a big heart.

This was not marketed well. The trailers made it look like much more of a comedy than it actually was. There are some funny scenes/lines, but it's a very serious movie in many aspects, very much a dramady.

It deals with mental health issues like loneliness, loss and depression in a sensitive manner. The acting is good with Tom Hanks giving his usual outstanding performance. The writing is mostly solid but gets a little too on the nose in parts. My main criticism is it could have used a little more editing, but that seems to be an issue with most movies today. It was about 20 minutes too long.

I streamed this but would've been fine paying to see it in a theater. Definitely worth watching.

There is nothing subtle about this film. In fact it makes all its points with a sledgehammer. I guess some people need that to get the point.

The film has wonderful intentions which you can't fault.

Tom Hanks does an adequate job of playing a hurt, bitter curmudgeon who has had a difficult life full of loss. I think other actors willing to be disliked would have done a better job.

Most of the supporting cast is wonderful.

Be kind to others. Give them their space. You have no idea what they have been through. A person who takes a long time to warm up to you can end up being more loyal and kinder than those who constantly smile in your face.

It was fine, but I don't understand why America always have to make a remake of a perfectly good already existing film or series!

It didn't do the book justice as the original movie and I usually love Tom hanks.

They should have left it alone, or is it too hard for them to read subtitles? ( they remake English shows like ghost as well too so that really doesn't make sense, in a bad way too)

The film is Perfectly fine if you haven't watched the original or read the book, it'sa heartwarming story with a bit of drama and comedy.

Tom hanks is a brilliant actor and the support cast is good too!

I went into this movie with little expectations, and came out with this added to one of my favourite films of all time. I felt every emotion during this experience. I couldn't picture anyone else play the character of Otto, Tom hanks absolutely nailed it in this. Along with the female lead, she was hilarious and had the whole cinema laughing at times!

I will recommend this film for a long time. I go to the cinema once a week atleast and this has been the best watch in a very long time.

Don't forget to bring your tissues. It'll have you on an emotional roller coaster but you won't want to get off.

Yesterday, the last day of 2022, a Saturday my wife and I decided to go to the movies to spend an afternoon out together. So I pulled up the local movie theatre to see what was playing and this was showing (English version) and the other movie with the blue aliens (we were not up for watching a 3 hour extravaganza). Never heard of this movie so looked up the preview on IMDB and thought we'd enjoy it. Noticed it hasn't come out in the States yet, we're south of the border.

The movie is down to earth and incredibly believable. Tom Hanks carries the movie with his great charm and acting as an unlikeable cranky old man. No one wants to live in a community with someone like him hounding you ever day for every little thing.

As the story unfolds you see how unhappy he is with life with the injustices he went through that ultimately left him alone and unloved in a cold world and wanting to leave this world. Something too many people can relate to. I liked how at the end of the movie they leave a mention of the hotline number 988 for people contemplating ending their lives and need to talk to someone.

The movie had us laughing, the comedy is great, and it touches your heart as you see the new family that moves in is willing to put up with Otto's crankiness and show him love.

It is a good lesson for everyone. We should all be good neighbors to each other. And usually there is a reason behind the pain and the bitterness in a person. And patience and love can break through the rough exterior and find the good in a person that is crying out for attention and love even when they don't act like it.

What a great movie to end the year to, we're glad we saw it at the movies and I just wanted to come and add a comment here for anyone wondering whether this is worth the watch. In my opinion it is. It's a movie that will leave you thinking, and pondering over it, over the human condition, and our relationships with each other. Not just a have a fun time and leave forget about it.

Things have gone on for too long, and it must end, those who break your rules, you just cannot defend, so it's time to say goodbye, join your lady in the sky, but even that's starting to drive you round the bend. But then a woman and her family appear, Marisol scythes and cuts, through all of your past tears, helps to bring some perspective, and the courage to forgive, so when the time arrives, there's nothing to be feared.

A wonderful tale of a cantankerous older man who manages to fondly reflect on the lost love of his life while being inspired by a new neighbour who breaks his outer shell and reveals a generous and kind, larger than life heart. Great performances all round and not the worst remake of an extremely endearing original, although ever so slightly not quite as good at the same time.

The sixty-eight previous reviews on here are either very favorable, or complain that this isn't like the Swedish movie adapted from the same novel. To the latter, smaller group I can only say: Movies are their own works of art, folk. They may be adapted from books or other movies or whatever, but as works of art, they stand or fall on their own terms, not on whether they adapted some other work well. The fact that the poster for this movie is very clearly designed to recall the one for that other movie, *A Man Called Ove*, shows that the creative team here was not afraid of the comparison, and indeed evidently encouraged it.

They were right to do so. This movie stands straight and tall on its own. It's really a masterpiece.

It starts off small, modestly, presenting a character who borders on caricature: a grumpy old man - Otto - living by himself and alienating those who would try to get close to him. But even at the beginning, we see that this is not a Tom Hanks version of Clint Eastwood's character in *Gran torino*. He's grumpy and unhappy, yes, but he's not a bigot. This will not be a movie about learning to like those who are different.

In the same sense, when new neighbors move in, the Mexican wife, superbly played by Mariana Treviño, is not a cliché of how white Americans see Latinos. Yes, she starts by bringing over food to thank Otto, as the Vietnamese do in GT, but she speaks fluent English as well as Spanish, so she quickly becomes an individual, very much Otto's equal, and not just a smiling, babbling other.

For the next two hours, the two spar with each other as she tries to help him and he keeps pushing her and others away. Along the way, we learn more and more about him, as in a well-paced murder mystery, until, by the end, we finally understand the full extent of why he is grumpy. He becomes a more and more complex character, as does Marisol (the Mexican neighbor).

We also come to known and understand several secondary characters, again a step at a time.

This takes two hours. While I never found it to drag even for a moment, it does not move fast. You have to be wiling to pay attention to all the details to learn about these people. That's why I would strongly urge you to see this in a movie theater, rather than at home. No, there are no fancy special effects, no monsters jumping out at you, etc. But you want to be in an environment where you are totally focused on this for the whole length of the movie. Trust me, you will be happy that you made the effort.

It's also worth arriving early to watch the previews of coming attractions. (But no, you should avoid the ever aggravating Maria Menunos, whose preview show has gotten longer and worse.) I sat through twenty minutes of previews for

movies about monsters movies about men who were going to kill innocent people movies about men who were going to force innocent people to kill each other teenage girls worrying that their breasts won't get big enough elderly women acting as if they had lost all their marbles male dancers built like body builders and the women who want to have sex with them

In other words, movies that probably don't have much in terms of gradual character development and mystery revelation. *A Man Called Otto* is first-rate for what it is, but it's worth remembering that what it is is worth appreciating in part because it doesn't come along that often. (And no, it didn't used to come along all that often *back in the day,* either.)

One small caveat: don't count on the cat. Some of the previews make it sound/look as if Otto is brought back to an interest in life by a stray cat. Not true at all. He is brought back by other people, their efforts, and his recognition of other people's goodness. Cats are not the same thing at all.

Great storyline, Tom Hanks delivers well and fills the role quite well. The character development is well-paced, not rushed, but also humorous enough throughout that it doesn't feel drawn out. Found myself laughing many times, as the situational happenings were quite funny even though you could pretty easily predict what was going to happen. Unfortunately, Hollywood does, what Hollywood does, and is forced to inject their identity ideology agenda about halfway, which derails the rest of the movie. Up until that point, this movie was going to get at least an 8 or a 9, though I did see many reviews praising the Swedish original, "A Man Called Ove". Maybe that one will spare us, and I'll be able to enjoy the second half without being propagandized at.

The book is one of my very favorites. I got married for the first time at 43 and read this shortly after. The book is amazingly touching and thoughtful. Though it has been a long while since I read it, I wasn't sure I was ready to watch it on the big screen - still haven't seen the Swedish version.

I felt this movie was so quiet but powerful in its message about how precious life is. Insignificant moments that add up to what could and should be miraculous and profound and beautiful. If you take this movie as it is without any preconceived notions, you will see the beauty of connecting to your community and understanding humanity is equal to real friendship.

For those giving this movie low ratings because gasp!! There are Hispanic Black and a single trans person in this movie are showing their personal emotionally stunted growth bc it is merely a reflection of today's topics, not the ones reflective of Swedish culture 10+ years ago when the original story was written. And NONE of it is even the point of the movie. So if you're not afraid to feel empathy for others regardless of how any person should look or feel or speak, then o think you will get something beautiful from watching this film. If on the other hand you believe that no one who doesn't dress, think, look, worship, speak, feel, behave as stunted as you think they should, then maybe you will be outraged by the (dare I say? GASP!) diverse cast and roles. Though again, it is not the point of the movie. But maybe you might see that being stuck, obtuse, set in your ways might be keeping you from enjoying a more enriched life. And I pray everyone watches this with an open heart. Bc the gift is in the message. Life is short.

It's really a beautiful film and I love that's it's filmed and set in Pittsburgh.

I loved it.

To start off, I had no idea about this films origins. After the first 30 minutes though my wife and I had severe Deja Vu. Turns out this is another adaptation of a film we had seen before which was called 'A Man Called Ove'. I know now it derives from a Swedish book, but the original movie with Swedish Subs was better for me, I remembered after starting this film as the original had such an impact - and I'm afraid the nearly carbon copy suddenly lost its appeal and impact the original had - this felt like a copy of a great film - albeit an a native English speaker I preferred it with subtitles.

A Man Called Otto (2022) is a remake of the 2015 Swedish film A Man Called Ove, which was based on the 2012 novel by Fredrik Backman. The film stars Tom Hanks as Otto, a bitter and lonely widower who plans to end his life after losing his wife Sonya (Rachel Keller). However, his suicide attempts are constantly interrupted by his new neighbors, a young and friendly family led by the pregnant Marisol (Mariana Treviño). As Otto reluctantly gets involved in their lives, he begins to rediscover the joy and meaning of living.

A Man Called Otto (2022) is a decent remake of the original. It is worth watching for the performances of Tom Hanks and the rest of the cast. The film tells a heartwarming and humorous story about love, loss, and life. It shows that family can sometimes be found in the most unexpected places, and that kindness can make a difference in someone's life. The film also explores themes such as grief, loneliness, friendship, and redemption.

...and his performance in this is excellent but the story feels like we have seen it all before. I haven't seen the original nor read he book I should say. But this feels a bit manipulative, like it is aiming for emotional targets and ticking them off as they get hit. It's good but it's not a classic and I doubt it will win any awards. It is also spoilt by shoe horning in one or two PC issues which do absolutely nothing to further the story and really do not fit in. Watching this I was moved and then disappointed in equal measure. It's worth a watch but on a number of occasions you'll be asking yourself, oh why did they do that?

Grief stricken widower Otto goes through life moaning and fighting against all of life's little irritations, how world is turned on its head when new neighbours move in opposite, neighbours that try to incorporate him in their lives.

Initially, I wasn't too sure, I thought the film was going to be a ninety or so minute moan fest, with central character, Otto moaning and griping over everything, but if course there's some real depth, and Hanks delivers a stunning performance. It's a pretty awesome movie, you will laugh, you'll cry, you'll learn exactly what makes Otto tick.

Of course you spend most of the movie asking just one question, what happened to her, what was the big moment, when it comes it's a hammer blow, the voice of Kate Bush gave me chills.

Mariana Treviño is an absolute joy as Marisol, as depressed, low and down beaten as Otto is, she is the perfect opposite, she'a carefree, optimistic and joyous, what a lovely character.

It's brilliant.

10/10.

A Man Called Otto

It is stretching it to call it a comedy at best it was amusing.

I really enjoyed this movie and Tom was on good form and played the irascible titular lead. The movie unfolded slowly and it all came together in the last 20 minutes.

We had some really good performances all round and I think I have seen this same plot a number of times.

It was not perfect, it was a few scenes too long, we had several cultural stereotypes that grated but we slowly warmed to it, I suppose! Some elements were overly contrived to manipulate the viewer, however these a minor criticisms of a largely highly entertaining movie.

I giving this a strong 7 outta 10, meaning it's well worth a watch.