Classic Film Review #31: Toni Erdmann

Available on Mubi

Like any great picture, Maren Ade’s sprawling Toni Erdmann is a thorough examination of many things. However, all of its narrative undercurrents are contained within the relationship between its central characters, an estranged father and daughter who are reunited in the most bizarre of circumstances.

Peter Simonischek is a riot as Winfried, whose titular alter ego serves as a last resort when his misguided attempts to bond with Ines (Sandra Hüller) go awry. His character, who is loosely based on Ade’s own father, is desperate to not only obtain his child’s affection and approval, but to also liberate her from the seriousness of the corporate life she has constructed for herself.

The real genius of Ade’s screenplay is that it appreciates the complexity of this dynamic and is never overly sympathetic towards one character more than the other. After all, why should Ines abandon a successful career to be as comically non-committal as her father? Instead, Ade gives the relationship room to breathe and evolve, while also exploring more deep-rooted topics such as workplace misogyny, the economic landscape of post-Soviet Eastern Europe and, by her own admission, the psychological forces behind comedy.  

Toni Erdmann is a daring and ambitious picture but one whose greatest strength perhaps lies in its ability to make you laugh and think in equal measure.