Review: A Man Called Otto

It's unusual to go into a film featuring Tom Hanks where his last outing wasn't a successful one.

I of course am talking about the release of Disney's live-action re-make of 'Pinocchio' a few months ago. Let's just say it did not fare well with audiences. Not even the great man himself could save it.

Now we have something a little different for Hanks aficionado's. For those that aren't aware, this new release is an American re-make of a Swedish comedy drama from 2015 called 'A Man Called Ove', which itself is based on a 2012 book.

I'm always a bit unsure of American re-makes as they never seem to capture the tone and spirit of the original. It's almost as if they're afraid to be as daring as its own source material in case it would alienate its Western audience.

The marketing does suggest a light-hearted comedy drama. But the uninitiated may be shocked by the dramatic moments as it tackles some serious subjects that may hit you hard depending on your life experiences.

Don't worry, the majority is uplifting and sentimental. But there are some moments that you need to be prepared for.

The jump between the lighter and dark tones is startling at first. But it felt for me that it eventually settles itself to give it a better flow.

Then as we get towards the end, the sentimental side takes over and gets carried away at times. Thankfully, I don't effect the overall viewing.

I have to admit, I was getting a bit emotional for the most part as a lot of what was happening was relating to what was happening in my life right now. So it was exactly the right film for me to watch this at this moment in time.

Tom Hanks is as good as ever. Seeing him play a largely grumpy man is fun to watch and his natural charisma gives you that type of likable energy that only Hanks can conjure.

Marian Travino gives the film it's joy and warmth every time she is on-screen. I like the development and chemistry she has with Hanks and that is gives the film its energy. I can see some people claiming she stole the show by the time the credits roll.

The general look of the film is fine. Despite the colour palette being soft with its whites, blues and light greys, it's bright which gives it a welcoming vibe to it.

In a nutshell, I could call this a light-hearted 'Gran Torino'. It's directed by Marc Forster who can work really well with films like 'Finding Neverland'. But can also falter with things like 'Quantum Of Solace'. I think on the whole he does a good job with this. It has a lot of love to give that will warm you up during this winter period.

But like with all this types of re-makes, it is inferior to the original. I think what's missing is that it doesn't quite balance the light and the dark tones. Plus, it gets a bit over sentimental for its own good at times and is trying too hard to please its audience. 

However, I don't think it needed to do the latter as it will work particularly well with the viewers that were not even aware of it being a re-make. It pulls at the heart strings effectively with most of it feeling authentic, the comedy is solid and Tom Hanks is as likable as you would expect. While I'm not always up for these kinds of re-makes, I appreciate why they do it as not everyone is aware of every film out there or is a bit sniffy with films that require subtitles.

I can see this being a solid crowd-pleaser and is an ideal film to start the year off.

Rating: 7/10