
“Toni Erdmann” and the Burdens of Womanhood
You were lied to. Toni Erdmann is not a comedy. Sure, German director Maren Ade’s Oscar-nominated ode to fatherhood (and daughterhood) is hilarious. I laughed my heart out at its quotidian absurdity. The log line primes us for funny: “Goofy older music teacher plays pranks on his upright, workaholic kid to spark a little life in her.” But this isn’t a retread of a heartwarming family comedy that might have bowed in the 90s. It’s a heart-crushing exploration of parental disapp