Mr. Movie review: ‘Toni Erdmann’
Winfried Conradi is an impulsive and somewhat immature jokester.
His daughter, Ines, is a corporate climber trying to land an important client. The troubles with her dad begin when he takes a long holiday and shows up at corporate headquarters.
His welcome is less than — well — a welcome. Reluctantly, Ines takes her father to a very important reception with the client at an embassy.
Later, with another group, Winfried pretends to be Toni Erdmann and an important ambassador. All of this alternately angers and amuses Ines who can’t figure out what her father is trying to do.
Toni Erdmann features the terrific performances of Peter Simonischek and Sandra Huller and is a really great movie that grows on you as it stumbles along.
And there is a lot of stumbling in what ends up as one of last year’s best foreign films.
▪ Rated R for mature themes, language, nudity. It’s playing Friday only at the Battelle Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.
Movie name Toni Erdmann
Director: Maren Ade
Stars: Sandra Huller, Peter Simonischek
Mr. Movie rating: 4 1/2 stars
Rated R for mature themes, language, nudity. It’s playing Friday only at the Battelle Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.
5 stars to 4 1/2 stars: Must see on the big screen.
4 stars to 3 1/2 stars: Good film, see it if it’s your type of movie.
3 stars to 2 1/2 stars: Wait until it comes out on DVD.
2 stars to 1 star: Don’t bother.
0 stars: Speaks for itself.
This story was originally published May 11, 2017 at 7:33 PM with the headline "Mr. Movie review: ‘Toni Erdmann’."