Film Review – Toni Erdmann

The struggles between fathers and daughters takes a highly unusual turn in “Toni Erdmann,” a German production that does whatever it can to subvert expectations while trying to remain at least passably human at its core. Writer/director Maren Ade starts with semi-autobiographical touches but takes long dips into absurdity with this strange dramedy. She takes her time too, as the feature runs nearly three hours long, which is quite a journey for material that largely employs subtlety to explore the depths of a ruined relationship. “Toni Erdmann” has moments that test patience in full, but it’s also a richly realistic study of interpersonal struggle and fractured communication, delivered with a free-flowing sense of playfulness and concentration from stars Sandra Huller and Peter Simonischek. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com