Movie Review | A Man Called Otto: A poignant tale of love, life and death

The death of a spouse is one of the most agonising losses in life, as the survivor struggles to piece together fragments of their lives while enduring profound grief. ‘A Man Called Otto’, streaming on Netflix, tells the story of Anderson Otto (Tom Hanks), a grouchy old man, who is forced to retire early due to a heart ailment and plans to take his life after his wife Sonya (Rachel Keller) dies of cancer since he feels he has no purpose in life. Otto is gloomy, miserable, lonely, often self-absorbed, hopelessly in love with his wife, feels he lives in a neighbourhood brimming with “idiots”, and growls at anyone who defies the rules. He spends most of his days picking fights with people as he flits around the neighbourhood, reacting furiously to each mistake others make, and visiting his wife Sonya's grave. In his grief, Tom Hanks’ character is harsh and unpleasant to many around him, seemingly oblivious to the consequences of his words. The grumpy old man navigates all of that intense p...