Tom Hanks finally breaks out of his slump (‘Pinocchio’, ‘Elvis’, ‘Finch’) for this touching and ultimately sweet drama about a grumpy old man who thinks everyone is an idiot and who decides (in a couple potentially triggering scenes) that he’s not meant for this world anymore. Hanks returns to form and anchors the film with the perfect amount of gravitas without turning everything into the sappy or overwrought mess it could have been. Kudos also to Mariana Treviño as Otto’s neighbor Marisol, whose charming (and super-tolerant) friendship with Otto gives the film both its backbone and heart.
4/5 stars