In A Man Called Otto, Tom Hanks reaffirms exactly why he is one of Hollywood’s best-loved and more versatile actors. Rooted in the bestselling novel A Man Called Otto by Fredrik Backman, the movie tells the story of Otto Anderson, a grumpy, recently widowed man who feels that life has lost its purpose. Doing justice to the character’s agony of grief and isolation, Hanks delivers a heartfelt, layered performance that keeps the audience hooked from beginning to end.
Otto is effectively the arch curmudgeon, set in his ways, perpetually irritated by the world at large, and reclusive. He seems to despise his neighbours more than anything else, keeps to himself day after day, and lets everyone know that he wants to have nothing to do with anyone else around him. But underneath this prickly skin there lies a whole well of emotion, one that Hanks manages to tap into without appearing all sticky and heavy-handed. In which, since Otto has such a dreadful background, especially his big love for his died wife Sonya, I think that there must be within this palpable anger and bitterness a softer man behind, this only at very brief glimmers, which we see in the man he once was full of hope, loving, and kind-hearted.
Hanks marries Ottokio’s brusqueness with vulnerability, and precisely here is the point at which we come to sympathise with a character that probably cannot be liked. He’s easy to feel for: His pain and anguish are palpable, but so is the tenderness that begins to emerge as he starts forming unlikely friendships with his neighbours, particularly a feisty, pregnant woman named Marisol (played by Mariana Treviño). Their dynamic quickly becomes the heart of the film, with Marisol’s warmth and persistence gradually bursting through Otto’s very tough exterior.
As Otto, he demonstrates to be one of those actors who can interpret complex feelings but never look that noticeably thematic. From his facial expressions and body language to the low, mournful cadence of his speech, it all echoes this internal struggle within him—to push people away while he craves human contact. Subtlety in small moments of humour, humanity, and sadness make the character alive and relate at an emotionally deep level and depict to the audience a sense of genuineness.
Beyond the character study, A Man Called Otto is a redemption story, a second chance at life, and healing by the power of the community. It is Hanks who anchors the film and turns what otherwise might have been just a simple tale of a grumpy old man into a moving realisation of love, loss, and finding purpose in life again. But perhaps, in the hands of another actor, Otto would have played out more as grumpy, but Hanks infuses him with this presence of humanity, which stays long after the credits continue to roll. Again, Tom Hanks proves to be one of the best actors in A Man Called Otto.
