Toni Erdmann (2016)

Comedy, Drama

Director: Maren Ade
Writer: Maren Ade
Starring: Sandra Hüller, Peter Simonischek, Michael Wittenborn, Thomas Loibl

A critically-acclaimed, heart-warming comedic drama coming from Germany, that brilliantly tackles the father-daughter relationship theme.

Following the death of his beloved dog, Winfried, a divorcé and retired piano teacher with a weird sense of humor and a passion for practical jokes, decides to pay a surprise visit to his estranged daughter Ines, a workaholic businesswoman currently stationed in Romania. After a failed attempt to reconcile with her, he tries again, this time disguised with a scruffy wig and a pair of false teeth, posing as "Toni Erdmann," a life coach who is visiting Bucharest for the funeral of a friend's turtle. As the old man gets more and more involved, we see him attempting to comically make his way into her life and to help her with the pursuit of happiness by loosening her up.

Writer-director Maren Ade's film is an honest story about interesting, warm, sad, and funny characters, with both protagonists offering absolutely stunning performances. Although a bit long—it runs at almost three hours—Toni Erdmann, considered by many critics as one of the best films of 2016, is a strikingly original masterpiece that constantly swerves expectations.

Plot summary from IMDb: Winfried doesn't see much of his working daughter Ines. He pays her a surprise visit in Bucharest, where she's busy as a corporate strategist. The geographical change doesn't help them to see more eye to eye. Practical joker Winfried annoys his daughter with corny pranks and jabs at her routine lifestyle of meetings and paperwork. Father and daughter reach an impasse, and Winfried agrees to go home to Germany. Enter Toni Erdmann: Winfried's flashy alter ego. Disguised in a tacky suit, weird wig and fake teeth, Toni barges into Ines' work circle, claiming to be her CEO's life coach. As Toni, Winfried doesn't hold back, and Ines meets the challenge. The harder they push, the closer they become. In all the madness, Ines begins to see that her eccentric father deserves a place in her life.

Awards: Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 51 wins & 65 nominations.
Runtime: 162 min
R