Review of Toni Erdmann (2016) by Dirigiblepulp — 25 Feb 2017

Truly, a comedy epic. Ok, that's mostly the length of the film talking. This is a classic high-concept comedy premise that's so deeply rooted in real human emotion that it only feels outlandish on reflection afterwards.

Quite a bit has been said about the way in which the film refuses to conform to the typical route one like this would take - that of a woman finding a man, realizing she's a Type-A corporate **** who just needs to shut up and be a wife/mom, and all without ever explicitly stating that fact but implying it every step of the way.

Instead, this film meanders and wanders and roams and keeps finding ways to surprise and tickle. The jokes are long cons, ones with mostly huge payoffs. That Ines reaches her revelation both as a result of her father's antics and also her own self-realization feels especially real. What she needed was not so much a change of heart but to be surrounded by one decent person. It's the fault of other corporate cronies and sexist buffoons. It is a slight twist on the formula that makes it near revelatory. The ending eschews trite resolution, suggesting that happiness isn't magically forever after some grand realization but that it is comprised of moments and the mere ability to see that and experience that with someone you love is in itself revelation enough.

I would have preferred less slack direction in regards to the showy-unshowy "realism" camera work and scene pacing. There are some scenes that seem shot for no reason whatsoever and others that end abruptly or at absurdly inconvenient times. In short, it tries to be too cute with its form. I'm thinking in particular of the ending where Ines has a naked brunch (my lord when Toni shows up in that costume - haven't heard an audience laugh like that in while) and hilarity ensues as people show up naked until it ends with a well-timed hand on a shoulder. Suddenly people are putting on clothes and Toni leaves and Ines chases and there's no reason for any of it and the scene still had so much more to give. Then there's a strange long-winded follow-through in a park and a little girl and finally a hotel clerk pulling off a mask. A tighter sense of story there (and elsewhere) and we could be talking masterpiece.