soundoflight
After about 10 minutes of it, I came to the conclusion that "Toni Erdmann" was a terrible film and wanted to turn it off. But for some reason I kept watching, and kept watching, until suddenly 2+ hours had gone by. After watching, I still kind of think it's a terrible film, but also have an appreciation for the journey it took me on. I can see how some people on get the former experience, so one will have to judge for themselves whether this type of film is their cup of tea. To me, "Toni Erdmann" is a film about emptiness. It's about empty people, living empty lives, all striving for something. While there are some solid laugh out loud moments in the film, I actually found it a bit depressing. I think I see too much of my own life and the lives of those around me here. These characters all seem to be desperately striving for something in their lives - to feel something - but all falling short. In that respect, it's one of the most "modern" films I've ever seen - a film that really tries to capture the current time we live in. The vast majority of entertainment today tries to take us away to some other place, time, or culture, so this film is remarkable in how it takes on our society dead on. The impression left is not favourable. PS: "Toni Erdmann" is quite similar to the Swedish film "The Square," so if you enjoyed one you will likely enjoy the other.
Jackson Booth-Millard
I found out about this German-Austrian film from both a television film review discussion, and when it came about during Awards Season, from hearing what it was about and its positive opinions, I was hoping it would be worth it. Basically Winfried Conradi (Peter Simonischek) is a divorced music teacher, an old-age hippie of sorts, and a passionate prankster. Winifried doesn't see much of his working daughter Ines (Sandra Hüller), pursuing a career as a business consultant, currently posted in Bucharest, Romania, working on an outsourcing project in the oil industry. Following the death of his beloved dog, Winifried travels to Bucharest to pay Ines a surprise visit, he puts on sunglasses and false teeth as a playful disguise, she chooses to ignore him, but later invites him to a business reception at the American Embassy. At the reception, Ines wishes to secure a consulting contract with German oil company CEO Henneberg (Michael Wittenborn), she tries desperately to get his attention, but Henneberg seems more interested in her father. Winifried tells Henneberg he has hired a replacement daughter, as Ines is always busy, to her surprise, she and her father are invited, along with the entourage, for drinks, at the bar Henneberg again brushes off Ines and makes fun of Winfried. After several days, Ines and Winifried struggle to get along, she is consumed with work, getting stressed and oversleeping, and she blames her father for most of it, feeling alienated and unwanted Winifried leaves in a taxi for the airport. Ines continues work as usual, several days later she arranges to meet two girls at a bar, while Ines and her friends, a man approaches, introducing himself as "Toni Edrmann, clearly it is her father with false teeth and a wig, but she does not let on as the girls politely engage in conversation. Ines is increasingly frustrated and unfilled in both her work and her personal life, but she encounters "Erdmann" sporadically at parties and outside the office, she is angry at first with her father, accusing him of trying to "ruin" her, but she starts to see the worth of her father's interventions, and plays along with his ruse. "Erdmann" accompanies Ines on a night out with her work friends, then joins her at a business meeting, in turn, "Erdmann" takes Ines to a Romanian family's Easter party, where he forces her into a reluctant but powerful performance of Whitney Houston's "Greatest Love of All", after which she swiftly departs. Back at her flat, Ines is preparing to host a business team-building brunch to celebrate her birthday, but she struggles with her dress and shoes, the doorbell rings, instead of finding a new outfit, she opens the door naked, telling guests that it is a "naked party". Each of the guests react differently some leaving in disgust, other self- conscious stripping off, the party becomes increasingly awkward, and Winifried turns up in a full-body Bulgarian kukeri costume, frightening Ines' colleagues, he leaves, but she follows, in the park the father and daughter share a hug, despite the impractical costume. Months later, Ines returns to Germany for the funeral of her grandmother, she explains that she has quit her job in Bucharest and will shortly begin working with McKinsey & Company in Singapore, after the funeral Ines and Winifried spend time in the garden playing with funny hats, and reflecting on the nature of happiness. Also starring Thomas Loibl as Gerald, Trystan Pütter as Tim, Ingrid Bisu as Anca, Hadewych Minis as Tatjana and Lucy Russell as Steph. Simonischek and Hüller are a most interesting father and daughter odd couple, there are some slow bits, and you have to keep up with the switches from foreign language with subtitles and English language, the most memorable moments are the awkward Whitney singing and the naked party, most of the laughs come from the eccentric characters and unpredictability of the ridiculous pranks, an unusual but interesting enough comedy drama. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, it was nominated the BAFTA for Best Film not in the English Language, and it was nominated the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language. Good!
