Peter Simonischek is a hilarious father in Toni Erdmann

The film written and directed by Maren Ade,  was a hit at the Cannes festival this spring but did not win any palm nor consolation prize. ” Toni Erdmann” came out at the end of August in Paris and is mostly a word of mouth success since. Its length, almost three hours, might be the cause for a relatively discreet career. But I loved it and cannot recommend it strongly enough.

Sandra Hüller is a remarkable actress

Toni Erdmann is the father’s name. A fake name of course (he is called Wilfried Conradi), like everything else in the character played by Austrian actor Peter Simonischek. He is so burlesque and imaginative that he creates new looks and new faces all along the film, endlessly playing with his false teeth. Maren Ade, the forty year old director, who won a Silver Bear in Berlin for her previous film “Everyone Else”, does not lack sense of humour!

You never get tired of sitting in front of the screen, because every few minutes, you are surprised by yet another scene or a pied de nez in Charlie Chaplin style. The story is that of a young German executive (Sandra Hüller) who works for a McKinsey type consultants firms and is sent to Bucarest to advise a Romanian company. Her stern life, hooked to her cell phone, is suddenly disturbed by her father’s visit.

The turning point in the film, undressing…

She is nervous, stressed, pretty, but has no boyfriend except for a passing colleague in a hotel room and does not enjoy anything in life. Her father is a bohemian artist who laughs and makes people laugh around him.

Sandra Hüller is a fabulous German executive who turns mad when her father invades her life

When he realises that his daughter has become an automat, he makes an unannounced visit to Bucarest and the comedy starts. With the high point being his daughter’s birthday party. The public then understands that her father has changed her for good.

I had not laughed as heartlily for months and came out of the theater feeling revamped. The ending is very smooth and the morale of the story is perfect. Don’t try too hard in life. Just be yourself… opening on December 23 rd in the US….