Toni Erdmann (Maren Ade, 2016)

Critically plauded to the heavens by the likes of Sight & Sound, Toni Erdmann shuffles on screen sideways and delivers a drama under the guise of a comedy. An eccentric and lonely divorced father undertakes to enter the life of his harangued business consultant daughter in her work milieu in Bucharest, causing her no end of trouble as he inveigles his way, sporting ridiculous comedy teeth and wig, into all her professional dealings posing as a vaguely-defined businessman.
At two hours and 40 minutes, the film could have done with some editing as mundane scenes are repeatedly drawn out beyond a meaningful span, giving the impression that someone simply forgot to turn the camera off or just didn't know how much it took to make a single point. But, on the plus side, the longueurs do allow for something that is increasingly a rarity in modern cinema: time to think. As a consequence, the essence of the story, that of a father trying any way he can to reconnect with his child, comes through with a more powerful impact and has become quite affecting by the time we reach the final fade into the ether of the rest of their lives.

7/10