A Man Called Otto Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

A Man Called Otto Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 15, 2023

Sometimes, the perspective that the world is a terrible place stands in the way of possibilities to make the world a better place. Director Marc Forster's (Christopher Robin) A Man Called Otto tells the story of a dead soul brought back to life by circumstances that reveal his place and his purpose in a world that he has shut out through a life defined by both joy and tragedy. What Otto comes to realize through the film is that life's ebbs and flows are not excusive to his existence, but rather that he is part of a flow that impacts others, for better or for worse, and it is his embrace or distance from that flow that has a profound impact on his own heart and in the lives of those around him. The film strives to impart important life lessons on the audience, and it succeeds in revealing the positives of human interconnectedness rather than the negatives of living within oneself at the expense of the bigger picture, even if that bigger picture is just a very small corner of the world.

Otto Anderson (Tom Hanks) is a recent widower who has lost all connection to and purpose for life. He aims to kill himself and join his late wife, Sonya, in death. However, his various suicide attempts are interrupted one way or another, including by the arrival of new neighbors, Marisol and Tommy (Mariana Treviño and Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, respectively). Otto is known as a local curmudgeon, who lives only to berate those around him, to call out why they are wrong, to scold them for failure to follow the rules, and to share his opinion of the way things should work. Nevertheless, his desperate attempts to kill himself are upended time and again, perhaps by chance, perhaps by fate, but gradually stirring something in his soul that maybe there's more to do in this life than ending it prematurely.

This is an unusual role for Hanks, to see the actor take on an unlikeable, rather than likable, relatable, or in some way heroic character, but he suits the part well, in large part because he is an actor of refinement and depth. He inhabits the bitter, hateful old curmudgeon well enough in large part because he captures the interior essence of the man, not just banking on external activities to shape the character. Hanks works his soul and his heart, first, before even considering the necessity of crafting the outward maneuvers. Of course, the narrative structure, through a series of flashbacks (many of which occur at those times when he’s attempting suicide) slowly build his story of love and loss and how his worldview was shaped and redefined through the years. The film is in no way extraordinary for its narrative or structure, but it’s heartfelt, with a lead performance that speaks to the size of the human heart (literally as well as metaphorically) and it works because it assembles not new pieces, but arranges established material in a very pleasing way.

The narrative creates a very poignant sense of loss and the human response to it. The film does a good job of painting Otto's grumpiness in the prism of loss and sadness, and the film slowly but surely builds the contrasting picture of the pain he suffers and the hope that gradually replaces it. His path is simple: as the film progresses his opinion of his own value and worth tracks with how others see him, at first as a nuisance of a neighbor and gradually as a man with a larger heart and various redeeming qualities beyond what his hardened exterior shell reveal. The film smartly builds Otto from the inside and the outside, often in parallel, sometimes one taking a bit longer to catch up to the other, but it is in how the film paints him from his own perspective, and from that of his neighbors, and how he ultimately adds value rather than just his own brand of vulgarity, where the story and the film shine.

A Man Called Otto Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Sony's 1080p Blu-ray presentation of A Man Called Otto looks very good. The image is highly detailed with razor-sharp facial textures evident in close-ups. Viewers will be able to analyze every facial feature and flaw with ease while also enjoying the robust depth of various sweaters and winter clothes and the fine elements inside houses and outside throughout the neighborhood as well. Color output is solid, too, boasting elegantly natural hues that are full and satisfying, with the natural color palette offering stability and accuracy alike. Whites are crisp, blacks are deep and well defined, and skin tones look natural. There is some source noise to contend with, but all is otherwise well with this agreeable Blu-ray from Sony.

A Man Called Otto Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

A Man Called Otto releases onto Blu-ray with a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. The presentation is crisp and efficient and fairly front heavy with not much to drive the film beyond dialogue. Musical engagement is wide and clear with a healthy, though certainly not powerful, low-end accompaniment. A few more pronounced effects are scattered throughout the film, notably powering trains at the 57-minute mark rumbling one way or another, representing about the high point for fluid audio dynamics and low-end engagement in the film. This is primarily a dialogue and atmosphere-intensive movie, and both are nicely detailed throughout. Dialogue in particular is stable, clear, and enjoyable. This is hardly a remarkable track, but it is very good within the film's naturally limited audio confines.

A Man Called Otto Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of A Man Called Otto includes a couple of featurettes, a deleted scene, and a music video. No DVD copy is included, but Sony has bundled in a Movies Anywhere digital copy voucher. This release ships with a non-embossed slipcover.

• Breaking the Rules: Making A Man Called Otto (1080p, 8:45): Exploring the character, source material (original novel and Swedish film), casting and characters, Hanks' performance, filming details, shooting locations, and more.
• Music Video (1080p, 3:07): "'Til You're Home."
• In the Studio with Rita Wilson & Sebatian Yatra (1080p, 2:42): A conversation about writing, recording, and the purpose behind "'Til You're Home."
• Otto Preps His Car for the Kids (1080p, 1:00): A deleted scene.
• Previews (1080p): Additional Sony titles.

A Man Called Otto Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A Man Called Otto is a simple but passionate and purposeful film about redemption in one's own eyes, and redemption in the eyes of the world around that person. Hanks gives a solid performance; it's not one of his best, but it is very genuine, as is the work of the cast around him. Sony's Blu-ray is a bit light on extras, but the video and audio presentations are very good. Recommended.