A Man Called Otto

Scott Hardie: “It ruled.”

This may be based on a Swedish novel already adapted to film once, but it's very much in the American tradition of Hollywood weepies, with lovable characters helping one another through life's traumas. The casting of Tom Hanks is critical; an unloved actor like Russell Crowe or Mel Gibson in the lead here would render it unwatchable.

I liked the characters and I felt better about my own troubles after crying my way through the story, which is of course the point. But I also found it remarkable that a mainstream American film could be this frank about suicide, beginning with an on-screen warning about the subject matter since there's really no avoiding it. I also appreciated that the main character is portrayed very clearly as being on the autism spectrum without the movie once needing to say it; that's just the way he is without it being a thing.

After initially doubting that yet another version of this story needed to exist, I'm now quite glad that I saw this.

− June 26, 2023 • more by Scott • log in or create an account to reply