A Man Called Otto | Film Review

 

The only thing I knew about this film before watching it was that it was a remake of a film that was based on a book. I haven't read the book but I have heard good things about it, so I was definitely interested in seeing the film.

Otto (Tom Hanks) is a grieving, unhappy widower who makes a drastic decision about his life. But when a new family move in across the street, everything changes.

I loved this film. I knew I'd probably like it, but I had no idea how much it would affect me.

I found the character of Otto really endearing from the very beginning, even when he was this 'grumpy' character that we weren't supposed to like. But this is true of most of the characters - I liked them from the very beginning.

I've watched a couple of films recently that deal with grief, and the way grief is portrayed in this film is one of the most interesting ones I've seen, especially as we find out more about Otto and his wife.

This is a universal story, but the crux of it isn't the grief storyline, it's about the importance of having people in your life, and how devastating isolation can be. This theme is so powerful throughout the film.

The one thing I didn't expect was for the film to make me emotional. By the end I was sobbing, so it gets a high rating for that alone!

Overall, this is a really powerful, emotional film that I definitely recommend. I actually bought the book and plan to watch the original movie too because I love the story so much.

8/10