Toni Erdmann - directed by Maren Ade
This German film is extremely difficult to categorise.
I have mostly seen it described as a comedy but its 'funny' scenes are often surreally so.
Its almost dark even during moments when it is adopting slapstick.
It's a strange mix.
There is a dichotomy at play here that almost defies you to laugh and it gets worse and worse (or better and better if you will) as the film progresses.
And the reason is that at heart this is a film about the relationship between a Father and Daughter - one has found a way to cope with the sadness that life has inflicted - the other yet to do so.
"Toni Erdmann" is Germany's entry in the Best Foreign Film category at this years Oscars - at the time of writing less than two weeks a way.
It is great to see what is ostensibly a comedy nominated - the Academy traditionally ignores the genre.
Toni Erdmann is not the lead character of this film - rather he is the alter ego of the male lead - Winfried (Simonischek)
Winfried's daughter Ines (Huller- imagine Dido mixed with Franka Potente) doesn't see much of him and when the retired piano teacher's elderly dog dies he sets out to reconnect with her.
Ines works in Romania as a consultant charged with finding palatable ways for CEO's to fire large numbers of employees under the guise of outsourcing.
She is well paid but miserable- in part because she gets very little respect in the man's world in which she works.
Winfried adopts his favourite prank props- false, oversized teeth and a shaggy wig to infiltrate her world.
More correctly he stalks her.
At one point he hides in her closet and scares Ines half to death.
Another time he handcuffs his wrist to hers as a joke and then (of course) cannot find the key.
While in his disguise Winfried adopts the name Toni Erdmann and claims to be several things throughout the film- German Embassador and Life Coach are just two.
Ines tolerates a lot of this outrageous behaviour and it is possibly because as goofy and unconvincing a creation Toni Erdmann is he nonetheless seems to afford her some respect and credibility simply by being seen with her.
In one scene her boss tells her that what he is about to say will upset the feminist in her.
Ines responds 'I'm not a feminist or I wouldn't tolerate guys like you'
He takes it as the compliment it was not intended as.
Ines is clearly miserable.
She is sleeping with a male colleague but there is very little affection to the relationship.
The one sex scene between the two is a decidedly and outrageously one sided affair that results in the man 'taking care of business' himself with Ines enjoying it only with the aid of a small cupcake.
See it for yourself - I will not explain further!
The reasons for Ines' misery are not overtly addressed but it is strongly hinted at that she does feel inner turmoil at the cold nature of her profession.
She watches what are clearly impoverished people from her flash apartment's balcony at one point and in another her Father departing from the same viewpoint.
Winfried's distress at being involved inadvertently in the firing of a worker is very much at odds with his daughters work and views.
He appears to be attempting to almost shock her out of her trance with a serious of every more ridiculous appearances as she attempts to finalise the 'project' that has taken up months of her life.
I was reminded frequently of the films of Alexander Payne - most often "About Schmidt".
Small wonder then that none other than that films star Jack Nicholson is set to star in the American remake of "Toni Erdmann"
Unnecessary this may be but I am curious as to what he would do with the role.
He has big shoes to fill.
Peter Simonischek is great as Winfried/Toni.
He portrays wonderfully well a man frequently mystified by how much his own daughter has drifted from him.
'Are you even human' he asks her- the immediate regret all over his face.
Still- for me this is Huller's film.
Her performance is layered and daring.
There is a scene in which misadventures getting dressed for a party she is hosting for her workmates results in her answering the door naked.
Ines just goes with it until it becomes the theme of the event.
I still hesitate to call this a comedy but there are several scenes in addition to this one which are genuinely hilarious.
And like this scene they are usually punctuated by an event or an appearance that is so out of left field that I found myself mouth open in amazement right up until the laughter came with full force.
I suspect that this is a film that needs a second viewing to fully appreciate but even on initial viewing it is hard not to fall for its uniqueness and the terrific performances of Simonischek and particularly Huller.
For all the comic possibility that false teeth and a shaggy wig allow the absolute best moment in this film is Ines being trapped into performing Whitney Houston's "The Greatest Love Of All".
Huller absolutely, bravely goes in all the way.
A unique, fascinating film- frequently hilarious, equally as often starkly, depressingly human.
RATING: 82 / 100
CONCLUSION: Surreally hilarious and oddly touching (and I stress 'oddly') this film calls to mind the work of not only Alexander Payne but of latter year Peter Sellers when humour came more from character than bumbling buffoonery.
Starring: Peter Simonischek, Sandra Huller, Michael Wittenborn, Thomas Loibl, Trystan Putter, Ingrid Bisu, Hadewych Minis, Lucy Russell, Victoria Cocias, Alexandru Papadopol, Vlad Ivanov
Screenplay: Maren Ade
Music Score by: Patrick Veigel
Cinematography: Patrick Orth
Edited by: Heike Parplies
Running Time: 162 minutes
Language: German & English
Rated: R16 - Profanity, nudity, drug use, sex scenes
Running Time: 162 minutes
Language: German & English
Rated: R16 - Profanity, nudity, drug use, sex scenes
I have mostly seen it described as a comedy but its 'funny' scenes are often surreally so.
Its almost dark even during moments when it is adopting slapstick.
It's a strange mix.
There is a dichotomy at play here that almost defies you to laugh and it gets worse and worse (or better and better if you will) as the film progresses.
And the reason is that at heart this is a film about the relationship between a Father and Daughter - one has found a way to cope with the sadness that life has inflicted - the other yet to do so.
"Toni Erdmann" is Germany's entry in the Best Foreign Film category at this years Oscars - at the time of writing less than two weeks a way.
It is great to see what is ostensibly a comedy nominated - the Academy traditionally ignores the genre.
Toni Erdmann is not the lead character of this film - rather he is the alter ego of the male lead - Winfried (Simonischek)
Winfried's daughter Ines (Huller- imagine Dido mixed with Franka Potente) doesn't see much of him and when the retired piano teacher's elderly dog dies he sets out to reconnect with her.
Ines works in Romania as a consultant charged with finding palatable ways for CEO's to fire large numbers of employees under the guise of outsourcing.
She is well paid but miserable- in part because she gets very little respect in the man's world in which she works.
Winfried adopts his favourite prank props- false, oversized teeth and a shaggy wig to infiltrate her world.
More correctly he stalks her.
At one point he hides in her closet and scares Ines half to death.
Another time he handcuffs his wrist to hers as a joke and then (of course) cannot find the key.
While in his disguise Winfried adopts the name Toni Erdmann and claims to be several things throughout the film- German Embassador and Life Coach are just two.
Ines tolerates a lot of this outrageous behaviour and it is possibly because as goofy and unconvincing a creation Toni Erdmann is he nonetheless seems to afford her some respect and credibility simply by being seen with her.
In one scene her boss tells her that what he is about to say will upset the feminist in her.
Ines responds 'I'm not a feminist or I wouldn't tolerate guys like you'
He takes it as the compliment it was not intended as.
 |
| Peter Simonischek as Winfried / Toni |
She is sleeping with a male colleague but there is very little affection to the relationship.
The one sex scene between the two is a decidedly and outrageously one sided affair that results in the man 'taking care of business' himself with Ines enjoying it only with the aid of a small cupcake.
See it for yourself - I will not explain further!
The reasons for Ines' misery are not overtly addressed but it is strongly hinted at that she does feel inner turmoil at the cold nature of her profession.
She watches what are clearly impoverished people from her flash apartment's balcony at one point and in another her Father departing from the same viewpoint.
Winfried's distress at being involved inadvertently in the firing of a worker is very much at odds with his daughters work and views.
He appears to be attempting to almost shock her out of her trance with a serious of every more ridiculous appearances as she attempts to finalise the 'project' that has taken up months of her life.
I was reminded frequently of the films of Alexander Payne - most often "About Schmidt".
Small wonder then that none other than that films star Jack Nicholson is set to star in the American remake of "Toni Erdmann"
Unnecessary this may be but I am curious as to what he would do with the role.
He has big shoes to fill.
Peter Simonischek is great as Winfried/Toni.
He portrays wonderfully well a man frequently mystified by how much his own daughter has drifted from him.
'Are you even human' he asks her- the immediate regret all over his face.
 |
| The great Sandra Huller as Ines |
Her performance is layered and daring.
There is a scene in which misadventures getting dressed for a party she is hosting for her workmates results in her answering the door naked.
Ines just goes with it until it becomes the theme of the event.
I still hesitate to call this a comedy but there are several scenes in addition to this one which are genuinely hilarious.
And like this scene they are usually punctuated by an event or an appearance that is so out of left field that I found myself mouth open in amazement right up until the laughter came with full force.
I suspect that this is a film that needs a second viewing to fully appreciate but even on initial viewing it is hard not to fall for its uniqueness and the terrific performances of Simonischek and particularly Huller.
For all the comic possibility that false teeth and a shaggy wig allow the absolute best moment in this film is Ines being trapped into performing Whitney Houston's "The Greatest Love Of All".
Huller absolutely, bravely goes in all the way.
A unique, fascinating film- frequently hilarious, equally as often starkly, depressingly human.
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