Toni Erdmann (2016)
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Review #1,361 |
THE SCOOP
Director: Maren Ade
Cast: Peter Simonischek, Sandra Hüller, Michael Wittenborn
Plot: A father tries to reconnect with his adult daughter.
Genre: Drama / Comedy
Awards: Won FIPRESCI Prize (Cannes). Nom. for 1 Oscar - Best Foreign Language Feature
Runtime: 162min
Rating: M18 for strong sexual content, graphic nudity, language and brief drug use.
International Sales: The Match Factory
Singapore Distributor: Anticipate Pictures
IN RETROSPECT (Spoilers: NO)
Critic Leslie Felperin of ‘The Hollywood
Reporter’ said this of the film: “According to the basic laws of cinema, Toni Erdmann shouldn’t work…[but] here
is the world's first genuinely funny, 162-minute German comedy of embarrassment.” I have to agree wholeheartedly. This is no ordinary movie. It is truly exceptional because it doesn’t
have a structure to bank its narrative ups and downs on. Instead, the screenplay is free-flowing with
no definite shape or form.
The entire film pivots on an awkward
father-daughter relationship, and despite its length, there is never a dull
moment. The key reason is the film’s
unique and refreshingly original treatment of a familiar theme—the
vulnerability of familial ties in the modern world. By adopting an absurdist slant that
incorporates ‘irritating’ humour and irony into daily scenarios of domestic and
professional life, Toni Erdmann sets
itself apart from the crowd, and quite simply, I haven’t seen a movie like this
before.
The film centers on an old father and his
estranged adult daughter. Sandra Huller
(in a performance worthy of any major acting award) plays Ines the daughter,
who has a moderately successful career as a mid-level manager, but leads an
incredibly frenetic and stressful working life in Romania. She doesn’t speak to her father much, so when
he visits her unannounced, a flurry of emotions is sparked.
The acting chemistry between Huller and Peter
Simonischek (playing the father) is irresistible. Through the course of the film, Ines, ever so
serious in her work and in person, has to deal with her goofy father who is
desperate to connect with her. That’s
all I should say, and I will leave you to discover one of 2016’s best
films. It is moving, outright hilarious,
surprisingly intelligent and contains arguably one of the most bizarre
sequences in modern cinema, which is certainly worth the admission ticket
alone.
In only her third feature in 13 years, German
filmmaker Maren Ade (who interestingly also served as producer for Portuguese
director Miguel Gomes (Tabu, 2010; Arabian Nights trilogy (2015)) has made her
most accomplished picture yet, and is certainly deserving of the Palme d'Or or
a major award when the film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this
year. Instead it got the FIPRESCI prize,
but at least that meant the critics absolutely loved it. And I believe you will too.
Verdict: One of 2016’s best films, this is a truly
exceptional and riveting drama about a father and his estranged daughter, with
some absolutely knockout moments of absurdity and comedy.
GRADE: A
TRAILER:
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