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.
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.