Synopsis:
Winfried doesn’t see much of his working daughter Ines. The suddenly student-less music teacher decides to surprise her with a visit after the death of his old dog. It’s an awkward move because serious career woman Ines is working on an important project as a corporate strategist in Bucharest. The geographical change doesn’t help the two to see more eye to eye. Practical joker Winfried loves to annoy his daughter with corny pranks. What’s worse are his little jabs at her routine lifestyle of long meetings, hotel bars and performance reports. Father and daughter reach an impasse, and Winfried agrees to return home to Germany. Enter flashy “Toni Erdmann“: Winfried’s smooth-talking alter ego. Disguised in a tacky suit, weird wig and even weirder fake teeth, Toni barges into Ines’ professional life, claiming to be her CEO’s life coach. As Toni, Winfried is bolder and doesn’t hold back, but Ines meets the challenge. The harder they push, the closer they become. In all the madness, Ines begins to understand that her eccentric father might deserve some place in her life after all.
-Komplizen Film & Madman Entertainment
Film Review:
One of a kind film that is hilarious at its best! Toni Erdmann is a story of a father-daughter relationship that is almost failing and only desperation can help save it. Winfried aka Toni Erdmann (Peter Simonischek) had a sudden realisation when his beloved dog died. He thought that life is too short to watch his daughter slip away from him. Now that he’s a bit old with health problems himself, he felt driven to do something drastic. He so wanted to build his relationship back with his daughter Ines (Sandra Hüller), taking spontaneous visit to see her in Bucharest.
The writer/director Maren Ade had such a good vision for this film. She decided to shoot the film in Romania because she wanted to tell a story that the two characters should face-off far from home- giving it an added force. As well as showing how “home” and family has become so foreign to Ines’ life in general- being in Bucharest most of the time. This added more drama and emphasis on their relationship as father and daughter. Being forced to stay with each other and work on their relationship. I also like how Ade did all of the isolated scenes with Ines and Winfried. The way they expressed their honest feelings towards each other were just so pure. The camera focus made the emotional encounters more intense and real. It felt so natural that you either feel Ines or Winfried’s emotions through the scenes.
This is what Ade wanted to tell- a story about family and taking care of relationships. The story telling was wonderful with lots and lots of laughter! The humour is not because it is a funny film but because it’s too sad to see how hard Winfried aka Toni tries just to get his daughter’s attention. He craves so much for her love and affection that he does extreme things using his sense of humour as his weapon. But don’t be fooled by this because this is one of those types of movies that can make you laugh so hard and make you really sad or even cry at the same time. This is completely an artwork itself, so brilliantly made to touch the deepest of your emotions. Easily reminding us of our own parents.
The film is definitely a must see with all the cast performing so remarkably with an amazing script. It is deeply moving, eccentric and emotional in so many levels. This is the type of film that is made with passion to tell a good sincere story about life. It teaches self preservation in the most absurd way. A very original film of the present time! Something that anyone would definitely want to experience.
In NZ cinemas Feb. 16, 2017