A Man Called Otto

No, it was really lemonade. Very well made, honest work, but it hurts your teeth from all that sugar. (02/18/2023)

I regret missing out on the Swedish original because, apart from Oscar, I've yet to encounter an American remake that surpasses the original movie for me. I've grown somewhat weary of Tom Hanks's recurring hero roles. Fortunately, he soon won me over as a grumpy old guy character, and made me remember Falling Down. However, as the story progressed, my initial enjoyment waned, giving way to clichés and an abundance of melodrama that I typically find off-putting. The film gradually lost its allure for me, especially with the emergence of Malcolm, who served as a reminder of the prevalent trend in contemporary cinema — placing more emphasis on promoting fashionable politics rather than focusing on quality writing, direction, and acting performances. This trend has always been a source of irritation for me and continues to be so when it feels forced upon the audience. Consequently, despite not considering the film a complete waste of time, my enthusiasm remained muted. Maybe I should have read the book instead. (11/18/2023)

I wasn't too impressed with the original either, but I found this one a bit more digestible thanks to Tom Hanks. It's still just a drama though, nothing more, and I'm certainly not going to root for them and give them plus points for nothing either. The occasional humor is fine, but there's little of it, the pacing is slower, and the whole thing just flows along without much interest or enjoyment on the part of the viewer. The most interesting scene for me was the gentleman's fall onto the tracks. Some people are warmed by this, others by Gore!! :) (05/10/2023)