Review by Tomris Laffly From rogerebert.com In Marc Forster’s genial, earnest yet unremarkable dramedy “A Man Called Otto,” the titular character Otto can’t pick his daily battles even if his life depended on it. Living in an unfussy suburban neighborhood of identical row houses somewhere in the Midwest, the aging man gets easily annoyed by every little misstep of a stranger. And his protests are so pronounced that they even rival Larry David’s in an average episode of “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” Portrayed by the beloved Tom Hanks in an indistinct performance that splits the difference between quirky and grounded, Otto is often right about his grievances, to his credit. Why should he pay for six feet of rope and waste a few extra cents, for instance, when he bought just a little over five? Why shouldn’t he warn inconsiderate drivers who often block garage doors or entitled neighbors who can’t as much as remember to close a gate and respect basic rules about trash disposal? Or pick up ...
Review by Brian Eggert From deepfocusreview.com A potent wartime drama and tragic human rights tale, The Imitation Game puts Benedict Cumberbatch in another role as an eccentric genius who looks at the world from a unique perspective. After stunning millions of fans and maintaining cultish following of “Cumberbitches” with his turn as the modern Sherlock Holmes on BBC’s popular Sherlock television series, he realizes an award-worthy portrayal as Alan Turing, the ostensible father of artificial intelligence who cracked Germany’s Enigma code machine and in turn helped win World War II. Beyond building the first computer, Turing was also a victim of Britain’s cruel Labouchere Amendment of 1885, which considered homosexuals like himself indecent and therefore subject to criminal reeducation. This fascinating and many-textured subject matter comes to life as certain Oscar bait in the film from Norwegian director Morten Tyldum ( Headhunters ) and distributors ...