Tom Hanks in 'A Man Called Otto': A Comedy-Drama

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The screen adaptation of the Swedish bestseller "A Man Called Otto" is in cinemas, with Tom Hanks in the role of a grumpy man who wants to end his suffering due to the premature loss of his wife. "A Man Called Otto" is the title of Fredrik Backman's Swedish literary hit, which was adapted into a successful film of the same name.

In 2015, the title was in the competition for the Oscar for foreign film, and the popularity of the book and the film contributed to Americans deciding to make their own version of this warm human story about a grumpy widower.

The direction was entrusted to Mark Foster, who signed a number of successful hits such as "Monster's Ball", "The Kite Runner", "World War Z" and the James Bond film "Quantum of Solace". When you add Tom Hanks' name to all that, you know you're going to be emotionally involved in two hours of excellence.

After the recent hits "Greyhound", "Finch" and the notable role of the manager in the film "Elvis", the American actor again shows all the splendor of his talent. Although Sony's film is aimed at a slightly older audience, it earned an impressive $12 million in its first weekend of release in American theaters.

A Man Called Otto

Engineer Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks) is completely bankrupt after his wife dies of cancer. He was forced to retire from work and faced empty days sitting at home in solitude. The time he has to spare allows this 60-year-old to notice everything that is wrong in the neighborhood where he lives, so he tries to enforce the strict rules of the housing association.

He is stingy, grumpy, and sarcastic. He desperately tries to regain control of his life, but the loss is too great. This will be the trigger for his decision to end his suffering. Otto decides to commit suicide, but all his attempts simply fail, driving him into a growing state of frustration.

Whenever he is about to perform the last act and end up on the rope (which he bought himself!), he is prevented from doing so by his new neighbor Marisol (Mariana Trevino). She can't drive and often needs help with the kids, and there are other "little things" that she needs Otto's help with.

Marisol isn't the only one annoying Otto. An adorable cat appears in his life and will soon win his heart. Despite everything, something will spark in Otto's life and that flame will lead him to become a local hero. Action punctuated by retrospective moments.

Otto from his younger days is played by Truman Hanks, the son of a famous actor, and his wife is played by Sonya (Rachel Keller). This sentimental comedy took many on an emotional rollercoaster and brought tears to their eyes.

This is a movie that has soul and will present you with a whole new insight into what we call a romantic comedy today. On IMDB, the film has a solid rating of 7.6. "Man Called Otto" is a film made for all Tom Hanks fans, and it deals with people who are going through difficult times in their later years after losing their long-term life partners.

The lesson it provides is that of good neighborly relations and the charm of borrowing a cup of sugar or some other food that sometimes makes us loathe to leave the house. Just as things are shared, difficult moments are also shared, and kindness, friendship, and respect are the inevitable place on which all the sentiments of Hollywood rest.

The film does not mind at all that its many scenes represent dramatic stereotypes, such as the depiction of the relationship Otto establishes with the cat. We've already seen something similar in the movie "Turner & Hutch", but it's more than fun.

By the way, Tom Hanks will soon be seen in two big upcoming movies. Titled "Here," which he reunites with Robert Zemeckis (with whom he collaborated on "Forrest Gump") and Wes Anderson's post-apocalyptic film "Asteroid City."