Maybe because comedies are easier sells to the viewing public than dramas of old age… Maybe that is why Tom Hank’s recent film, A Man Called Otto, is categorized as a comedy-drama, rather than a straight-down-the-line drama. I find two hours of screentime about a man insulting those around him and drowning in the misery of his beloved wife’s death lacking in laughs, at least for the most part.
Hanks is compelling as an aging widower in suburban Pittsburgh whose life-long social ineptness has turned into nasty rudeness. He says something hurtful to every person he encounters. He walks out on his own retirement party, which was pretty much a sham party anyway because he was forced out of his engineering position. Truth be told, I can understand why his co-workers would want to be rid of this curmudgeon.
If his insults were funny, somehow quirky, that would rule on the side of comedy. But all his insults fall flat. Calling people idiots repeatedly doesn’t make for comical entertainment, or any other form of entertainment. Even when Otto has a few unusually lively scenes with his neighbors, David Magee’s script still is bland. There is a scene where Otto attacks a clown in a hospital waiting room. Whatever the intentions, this scene was not funny.
Otto himself wants to be free of his life situation, and, in fact, makes various attempts to commit suicide. Each one fails. Is that where some of the comedy is supposed to lie? If so, director Marc Forster has let us down.
Waste is a key word for this film. Tom Hanks deservedly is a giant among Hollywood stars, a proven talent – big talent. To place him in an interesting situational story but then build the script from wishy-washy dialog and easily anticipated action is a waste. The reason to recommend such a mediocre movie is to see Hanks’ performance. His face subtly tells stories that the screenplay fails to convey. His character matters because, while never overplaying, he compels us to keep watching. It should be noted that A Man Called Otto has done quite well at the box office, having passed the $100 million mark at the box office.
One character in the film that helps bring the story to life is Marisol, an energetic, heavily pregnant wife and mother who has just moved into the neighborhood. She does bring comedy to the story. Marisol is played by Mariana Trevino, a Mexican-born actress whose vitality is much appreciated in this film.
There is danger of visual monotony in a film that is shot in winter in a labor-class area strong in grey tones. Marisol and her oddly childlike husband Tommy, along with their children, add much-needed color and amusement. Their presence probably is what allows this film to be designated a dramedy!
Otto loved his wife and cannot let go. That is a significant theme. She is dead but he keeps her coats on the rack. He keeps her wheelchair. He visits her grave and has conversations. Otto needs counseling, but that isn’t part of the script. In fact, conversations with those who have passed appear jovial, even festive, to this film’s writer.
A Man Called Otto is based on a novel by Fredrik Backman. It was made into an odd yet entertaining film in Sweden called A Man Called Ove in 2015. That film garnered positive reviews in the U.S. and a couple Oscar nods. Both A Man Called Ove and A Man Called Otto are available for home viewing, both on disc and streaming, from a number of sources.
Audrey Kupferberg is a film and video archivist and retired appraiser. She is lecturer emeritus and the former director of Film Studies at the University at Albany and co-authored several entertainment biographies with her late husband and creative partner, Rob Edelman.
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