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rookie-critic · 2 years ago

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A Man Called Otto (2022, dir. Marc Forster) - review by Rookie-Critic

TW: suicide

A Man Called Otto had its moments, but tended to be a little too sickly sweet for its own good (when it wasn't being way darker than advertised). I'll admit that I was on the side saying that I wasn't sure I could believe Tom Hanks as a grumpy old man, but for all of the film's faults, the believability of Hanks' Otto Anderson is not one of them. As much as we as an internet collective have corralled Hanks into the role of "America's Dad," and as much as Hollywood has begun to cast Hanks for roles that genuinely don't suit him (excuse me while I glare at Baz Luhrmann), we tend to forget that Hanks is a phenomenal actor that got as famous as he is now for being consistently great, not just in his more typecast-aligning roles like Big and Sleepless in Seattle, but also for movies like Road to Perdition and Philadelphia. Also, let's be honest, we all love him as Woody in Toy Story, and he's basically playing a giant buzzkill (pun absolutely intended) for a majority of the first film in that franchise. I actually found most of the film's cast to be quite endearing, especially Mariana Treviño, who practically steals the film from Hanks, which in and of itself is an impressive feat. As I've said in previous reviews, I love when we get to see fairly unknown actors play big roles in movies alongside the legacy names. The big name draws in the crowd and then they get to see this new (or new to the average moviegoer, anyway) face thrive. I hope to see Treviño in bigger and better things in the future because she was a delight in this.

The biggest detriment to the film is that it really tends to get caught up in itself a lot. I'm actually quite a sucker for sentiment in a film and get swept up very easily in a movie's emotional manipulation if I'm even remotely enjoying it, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I did shed some tears while watching A Man Called Otto, but there were moments that, had they been dialed back about 75%, would have been so much more effective. There are multiple montages set to the most over-the-top, Josh Groban-esque music (which I'm seeing now was mostly written by Hanks' wife, singer and fellow actor Rita Wilson) that absolutely kill the emotional momentum of the film. It is so unbelievably heavy-handed and saccharine that I think I was audibly groaning by the third time it happened. I really can't stress how hilariously atrocious these sequences are. There's also quite a few scenes of these incredibly out of touch depictions of the younger generation that seem to be plaguing a decent handful of films in the recent months, including one sequence involving a train station that is laughably obtuse, and the way the young people in that scene behave ends up being beneficial to Otto later in the film anyway, so I'm not really sure what the commentary is supposed to be, and I don't think the film does either. I find it odd that these sequences are even in the movie for how amazingly progressive a lot of the film seems to be.

Lastly, I'd like to talk about something I mentioned at the beginning of this review about the film being way darker than advertised. I would also like to take this moment to issue a trigger warning (TW: suicide) for those that might have PTSD or anxiety about this topic. This film presents itself in its advertising as a wholesome family drama where a young, friendly family melts the heart of the neighborhood grump. What this movie is really about is a suicidal man learning to find his reason for living again. I won't divulge the details of why for people who don't want those plot spoilers, but I feel it is heavily important to know going into this film that suicide is a heavily felt presence throughout the entirety of the film, and I think I counted five suicide attempts that are shown on screen (it could be six, but I remember at least five). I'm not against the depiction of suicide or suicidal thoughts in film, I think it's an incredibly important topic to discuss openly and without shame or judgment, but I also think that it is paramount for a piece of media to clearly state when it is going to depict something as potentially traumatizing (or re-traumatizing) as that on screen. When the first attempt happens, the film is barely 15 minutes into its runtime, and I was so jarred by it that I almost thought I had somehow walked into the wrong theater, that this had to be some other grumpy Tom Hanks movie and not the fun-loving, cheery looking one whose trailer got "The End of the Line" by The Traveling Wilburys stuck in my head for weeks. I don't know if I can hold a fault of the trailer against the film itself, but I was quite angry with the film's marketing for not giving some kind of indication of what the film and its tone actually were.

I'm having a hard time thinking of what score to give A Man Called Otto, because for all of the things that were objectively bad about the film, I did find myself getting emotional on more than one occasion. The film's sentimentality gets in its own way a lot, but when it's able to find a good balance between heart and drama it really sings, so I'd say there's a little more to like about it on the whole.

Score: 6/10.

Currently only in theaters.

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jasonblaze72 · 2 years ago

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East New York Episode 1: Release Date, Preview & Streaming Guide

The streets of East New York are a never-ending battle between the police and the criminals. Regina Haywood, recently promoted to captain of the East New York precinct, is determined to make a change. With her creative methods and diverse team of officers, she is ready to take on anything that comes her way. Amanda Warren and Emmy Award-winner Jimmy Smits star in CBS’s new police drama East New York premiering! East New York is a must-watch for anyone who loves a good police drama. Tune in to see the never-ending battle between the police and the criminals, and see how Captain Haywood makes a difference. You won’t be disappointed! https://youtu.be/mEoq5eSthuE The Cast of East New York: Amanda Warren as Deputy Inspector Regina Haywood Jimmy Smits plays Chief John Suarez Ruben Santiago-Hudson as Officer Marvin Sandeford Kevin Rankin as Detective Tommy Killian Richard Kind as Captain Stan Yenko Elizabeth Rodriguez as Detective Crystal Morales Olivia Luccardi as Officer Brandy Quinlan Lavel Schley as Officer Andre Bentley. Don’t miss the premiere of East New York. You won’t want to miss a single episode of this action-packed police drama! What is the Plot of East New York? The plot of East New York revolves when The newly appointed police captain of East New York-Regina Haywood. Although Regina is confident in her abilities to head the team, some officers and detectives are hesitant about her plans. The cast of this police drama includes Amanda Warren and Jimmy Smits, who will bring it all in this suspenseful, action-packed adventure. “East New York” is another addition to CBS' battery of police-themed shows, which also includes “The Equalizer” and the “CSI” reboot. Though its delivery is circuitous, it actually has more depth than one might initially think. "East New York" is a timely drama about the gentrification of a Brooklyn neighborhood where the start of renovation rubs uncomfortably against families who have lived there for decades. The show is relatively wary in its depiction of cops and policing, suggesting that they may be improved, and has an interesting main character who can make you believe, for an hour on television, that such transformation might be feasible. East New York Episode 1 Release Date: For the fans of crime drama, this is exciting to hear that East New York is going to premiere soon! It's going to air this Sunday i.e. 2nd October 2022. What Time Does East New York Come On? East New York will air at 9:30 pm ET/PT. East New York Episode 1 "Pilot" Preview: The first episode introduces us to Regina Haywood, who is getting a manicure while the robbery of a dollar van outside attracts her attention.She's just started her term as precinct chief, and this is a wake-up call for her;Regina's ultimate goal is to reduce the number of arrests for petty crimes, as well as improve conditions in interrogation rooms. By focusing on addressing major crime's root causes, she hopes to bring about significant change. She envisions her cops living in the communities they protectShe begins by ordering a ambitious subordinate, Officer Brandy Quinlan (Olivia Luccardi), to live in an apartment arranged through city housing. Where To Watch East New York? If you want to watch East New York, then you can do so on CBS. You can also catch up on the episodes that you have missed by watching them online on the CBS website or app. If you are not in the US, then you can watch East New York on Netflix. The first season of East New York will be available to stream on Netflix from 2 October 2022. You can also buy or rent East New York episodes on Amazon Prime Video. The first episode of East New York is available to buy or rent from Amazon Prime Video now. Read the full article

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