Toni Erdmann by Maren Ade was the first German film since 2008 to be shown at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. The distribution rights had already been sold to 55 countries at the premiere – even most Til Schweiger films can’t do that. Since then, the nominations and awards for Toni Erdmann have piled up. There was even an Oscar nomination.
You can currently stream the comedic family drama Toni Erdmann for free in the Arte media library.
Toni Erdmann at Arte: A father tries to save his relationship with his daughter
That’s what it’s about: Music teacher Winfried (Peter Simonischek) takes a vacation to surprise his daughter Ines (Sandra Hülser). She works as a management consultant in Bucharest and is not happy about seeing her father. Nevertheless, she takes him to a reception given by her client Henneberg (Michael Wittenborn). The businessman likes the old 1968 bon vivant’s humor and takes him to a club.
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While Ines tries to advance professionally, Winfried disguises herself with a dark wig and false teeth. He introduces himself as advisor Toni Erdmann and repeatedly intervenes in Ine’s everyday life.
The emotional core of the film lies between foreign shame and humor
The way Winfried as Toni Erdmann forces himself into the life of his daughter Ines is almost painful to watch. You can almost feel sorry for the career-focused management consultant who has long since given up her private life for her career. The unpleasant situations are so embarrassing for her that you’re just waiting for the freak out moment that’s building up behind her facade.
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Toni Erdmann
But between the shrill and absurdly funny moments, the true core of Maren Ade’s work emerges. It’s about a father who loves his daughter and a woman who has lost herself in everyday business life. It is in these brief moments that the film shows what life is about, before the masks are put back on and the charade continues.
Toni Erdmann triumphed at award ceremonies and even received an Oscar nomination
The mix of humor and tragic and emotional scenes was largely well received. After the film’s release, Toni Erdmann was at number one in the arthouse cinema charts for nine weeks. He was also considered a favorite for the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The family drama received further nominations at the 2017 Oscars, the Critic’s Choice Movie Awards and the Golden Globes.
In addition to the nominations, the film also won several awards. These include the European Film Prize, the German and Austrian Film Prizes and the Independent Spirit Award. In total, he won trophies in various categories at 20 award ceremonies.
And the reviews for the film were also extremely positive. Toni Erdmann was praised several times, especially at the BBC. It ended up at number 100 on the list of the 100 best films of the 21st century and at number 8 on the list of the best films of all time directed by a woman.
The celebrated exceptional film Toni Erdmann is in the Arte media library until April 30, 2024 available to stream for free. You can currently see Sandra Hülser in The Zone of Interest and Anatomy of a Case in the cinema. For the latter she could win an Oscar on Monday night.