Review of Toni Erdmann (2016) by Ginak — 27 Feb 2017

I think this is a fascinating film, and one of the best things about it is how the audience gradually caught on to what Inez’s estranged (and strange) father was trying to do here – give his daughter a sense of balance and perspective about life.

And at the end, she is still not quite convinced, I think, but I don’t want to include any plot spoilers. However, I think he has helped her (and us) make considerable progress toward understanding her/our own worth and desires.

I guess its length is a problem for an American audience, but it is a movie like “Magnolia,” where you just have to surrender and “go with it” to enjoy it. And I have to confess that I’ve sat through a lot of Wagnerian operas, so listening to incomprehensible German and reading subtitles is not such a shock to me.

If you try to relax and enjoy it and not be judgmental (like Inez), the action and craziness will carry you along, and I think you will find it rewarding. It’s a movie I will not soon forget, both for its craziness and for its message.