zzzorf
While it might not be the general consensus but I didn't really enjoy this movie that much. The idea and the story were fine but the way it was all put together just didn't work for me. The beginning of the movie was so slow, not setting a good feel for the main action of the movie. My other main issue was the characters. I struggled to connect with either the father or daughter thus taking me out of the movie. While I understand the father was a practical joker I got the feeling more of that he was doing his bits without any thought of the people he was doing them too, thus I just couldn't feel sorry for him. As to his daughter I never felt like I ever could get a handle of just who she was. This of course was not the design of the director so I can see where I failed to fully understand the movie as designed to be seen.
Lee Eisenberg
Maren Ade's "Toni Erdmann" looks at a relationship between a father and daughter. I thought that the important points were the focus on a younger generation's tendency to forget about the elders (as the business-minded Ines ignores her father) and business practices in the former Soviet bloc. The scene where, looking down from the office building in Bucharest, one can see what appear to be Roma people living on the fringes of society sums up the divide between the different sectors of society.Probably the scene that will really stick in people's minds is the party towards the end of the movie. I doubt that's the first time that such a party has taken place, but it is a surprise. It's one of many things that eventually forces Ines to acknowledge her father (complete with his eccentricities). I recommend it. Just remember that this is a slow-paced movie; it's the sort of movie that gives the characters time to develop.
Evan
Ok, the acting is decent -- supposing you want to watch a movie with completely mundane, utterly banal and unlikeable characters. It's like watching a movie that's focused entirely on the boss from Office Space. The female lead is cold, unlikable, boring, and does not change even to the end of the film. The dad is an utter weirdo and I'm not sure-are we supposed to sympathize with him in some way? He's a creepy loser and none of his jokes are even remotely on point. The only thing I agreed with the female lead is that her dad is a complete deadbeat.That's fine, having lead characters that are boring and unlikable, but the movie drags on and on and on and on. The scenes are incredibly long cuts and serve more to make you squirm in your seat with discomfort, or fall asleep from boredom. It took me 3 tries to finish the film. My wife walked out the first time after the first hour, and I stopped it too because it sucked, even though we had high hopes. It is ABSOLUTELY not a comedy in any way. It is a drama, but not a very good drama. There's kind of a rule of thumb in writing: is this the most interesting part of your character's life? If not, then why don't you write about -that part- of their life and not this part?
localhero83
A very creepy old man, sparse dialogue, and mainly random occurrences do not make for a good movie. I understand that the film was about loneliness and a father's concern for his daughter's workaholic life style. However, it played out in unbelievably bizarre behaviors and circumstances. The film's pace and pathos reminded me of "Lost In Translation", but without any of the latter's charm and charisma. Some of my problems with the film could be due to my lack of understanding of German perspectives and sense of humor. Perhaps the planned American remake will solve this problem for me. In the meantime, I'll go into my own thousand yard stare.
AD
