A Man Called Otto

Directed by Marc Forster, A Man Called Otto follows the titular grumpy old man (Tom Hanks) as he slowly-but-surely comes out of his hardened shell after befriending, among others, a homeless cat and a personable new neighbor (Mariana Treviño’s Marisol). It’s far-from-fresh subject matter that’s employed to perpetually watchable and frequently engrossing effect by Forster, as the filmmaker, armed with a script by David Magee, offers up a deliberately-paced yet progressively compelling drama that benefits from its spate of agreeable elements – with, first and foremost, the movie receiving plenty of mileage out of Hanks’ typically ingratiating and commanding performance. (And it doesn’t hurt, certainly, that Hanks has been surrounded by a number of equally appealing figures, with Treviño’s completely engaging turn as the sympathetic Marisol certainly standing as an ongoing highlight within the proceedings.) And although the 126 minute running time does result in a periodically erratic midsection, A Man Called Otto builds towards a tremendously satisfying and unexpectedly moving final stretch that does, in the final analysis, cement its place as a top-notch piece of work from Forster.

***1/2 out of ****