death of a superhero is a 2011 irish drama film based on the new zealand novel of the same name by anthony mccarten .

originally planned to be directed by mccarten in new zealand , the film was shot on location in ireland throughout 2010 and was directed by ian fitzgibbon .

the film stars thomas sangster alongside andy serkis .

it tells the story of a dying 15-year-old boy who draws comic book stories of an invincible superhero as he struggles with his mortality .

death of a superhero

to ask other readers questions about death of a superhero , please sign up .
it was a really nice and interesting day and all of you should read „death of a superhero“ .
from slave to superhero : the django supremacy | birth . movies . death .
we’d love your help . let us know what’s wrong with this preview of death of a superhero by anthony mccarten .
thomas sangster has heaped high praise on andy serkis , his co - star in death of a superhero .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing death of a superhero near you .
death of a superhero by anthony mccarten tells the story of donald kent , a teenage boy who is dying due to his cancer . the book captures
there are no featured audience reviews yet . click the link below to see what others say about death of a superhero !
based on anthony mccarten’s novel of the same name , ‘death of a superhero’ tells the story of donald clarke , a terminally ill teenager who craves sex and adventure .
finally at the literaturhaus the author anthony mccarten started with reading a short passage of his book „death of a superhero“ and told us more about the plot .
adolescence is often portrayed as a matter of life and death , but that ' s pretty much the case in helmer ian fitzgibbon ' s coming - of - age - with - cancer romance
death of a superhero .
death of a superhero is a movie starring thomas brodie - sangster , lilly forgach , and ian fitzgibbon . a dying 15 - year - old boy draws stories of an invincible superhero as he struggles with his mortality .
movie review - ' death of a superhero ' a volatile , imaginative 15 - year - old uses comic - book art to cope with his cancer diagnosis . critic andrew lapin says death of a superhero manages to turn the grimmest of grim subjects into something charming , raunchy and improbably uplifting .
josé alaniz . death , disability , and the superhero : the silver age and beyond . university press of mississippi : 2014 .
death of a superhero tells a story we’ve heard before : a likeable , complex person with a terminal illness is coming to terms with their mortality , living life how they want before it’s too late .
subscribe to trailers : urltoken subscribe to coming soon : urltoken death of a superhero official trailer # 1 ( 2012 ) andy serkis movie hd a dying 15 - year - old boy draws stories of an invincible superhero as he struggles with his mortality .
after garnering rave reviews during the toronto international film festival , irish film ‘death of a superhero’ has secured a us distribution deal with tribeca enterprises , and pasatiempo pictures in latin america .
much of this film quickly vanishes from memory , but there ' s some gold here . that ' s pretty much the message about life itself in
death of a superhero .
a dying 15 year old boy draws stories of an invincible superhero as he struggles with his mortality .
after seeing its tiff premiere in september , tribeca film has acquired north american rights to
death of a superhero
and will release the film in theaters and on vod in 2012 .
adolescence is often portrayed as a matter of life and death , but that’s pretty much the case in helmer ian fitzgibbon’s coming - of - age - with - cancer romance “death of a superhero . ” pic sidesteps cloying sentimentality and heavy - handedness with the help of a solid cast , led by thomas brodie - sangster as a budding graphic novelist whose days may be numbered , but [ … ]
directed by ian fitzgibbon ( perrier ' s bounty , spin the bottle ) , ‘death of a superhero’ uses a mix of live action and animation , to tell the story of terminally ill teenager donald clarke , who escapes life to his illustrated comic adventures .
a dying 15 - year - old boy draws stories of an invincible superhero as he struggles with his mortality .
edited by tony cranstoun here at screen scene with alan frier assisting , ‘death of a superhero’ is a co - production between irish production company grand pictures and germany’s bavaria pictures and was produced by michael garland , astrid kahmke and philipp kreuzer .
james furlong , motherless , discovered an extraordinary gift by accident which caused the death of his father and his grandmother .
tribeca film has acquired north american rights to death of a superhero and will release the film in theaters and on vod in 2012 . the ensemble drama had its world premiere at the toronto international film festival in september .
after steven spielberg boldly predicted the demise of the superhero blockbuster , we took a look at why the veteran director isn’t wrong .
donald is a teenager with extraordinary artistic talents . his future as a graphic novel artist should be bright . as his life is consumed by fantastic daydreams , donald soon discovers that a very real enemy is trying to kill him . with an unorthodox psychologist teaching donald to find the light in life in an otherwise dark world , death of a superhero tells the story of discovering life , love , and death in this exceptionally honest portrayal of a teenage boy facing his own mortality .
that said , there is a reason this tale gets told again and again , and all of its manifestations reveal something about the human condition . in the case of death of a superhero , we remember the confusion , pain and frustration of just being a teenager — one needn’t be diagnosed with cancer to make one want to avoid one’s adolescence . it’s the unchanging part of this story that keeps it relevant : death , mortality and loss are part of being alive , and these stories help us feel not alone .
check out my blog for the full review : urltoken 4 . 5 / 5 stars ! ! ! when i first read the book and the synopsis i kinda find the title ‘death of a superhero’ interesting yet ironic as being an avid comic book fan it usually means the end of a comic book and the hero… not trying to foreshadow anything… * tears ! ! ! * i picked up ‘death of a superhero’ after i found out one the maze runner actor was in the movie adaption of this book and like any book to movie rules i must re
' superhero ' is based on anthony mccarten ' s novel ' death of a superhero ' centres around donald clarke , a terminally ill teenager who craves sex and adventure , however his time is limited and he ' s never even had a girlfriend . as a form of escape , donald retreats from the harsh realities of life to his illustrated comic book adventures . these stories see the indestructible miraculousman fight a never - ending battle against his arch nemesis , the mad scientist known as the glove .
4 . 5 out of 5 stars . wow what an incredible book ! * review ish * i literally have no words . it was flipping brilliant . death of a superhero is not at all what i expected it to be . i remember i put a photo of it up on my snapchat and my friend isaiah said
but superheroes can ' t die ?
and i was like exactlllyyyy ! i love the irony . anyways . death of a superhero was not written in a novel - like format but rather a movie script . this gave you so much insight on how the protagonist sees the world . this boo
inspired by real events , death of a superhero is an original fusion of novel , comic book and film script . donald delpe is a troubled teenager . not only is he a ' terrible teen ' by default , as obsessed with sex , music and drugs as the rest of his gang , but he is also suffering from a life - threatening form of leukemia , which makes him an even more difficult boy , both for his
there are no three words less likely to inspire a fun time at the movies than
kid with cancer .
and yet here is death of a superhero , the second film in less than a year with that log line — and the second one that manages to turn the grimmest of grim subjects into something charming , raunchy and improbably uplifting .
the individual elements of death of a superhero feel awfully familiar : the romantic relationship between two self - defined “freaks , ” the unconventional shrink who helps a kid get over his rage , and even the cancer . but fitzgibbon’s cast is excellent , and the movie’s animated interludes liven up what could’ve been thoroughly pat . the interaction between brodie - sangster and loftus is especially well - played , as her nihilism paradoxically makes him feel that life is worth living . it’s easy to care about these characters , which gives death of a superhero a lot of power as it moves inevitably toward what is clear from the start will be an unhappy ending .
death of a superhero ‘s third act goes in a potentially crass direction—involving an attempt not only by some of donald’s friends , but eventually dr . king as well , to help get donald laid just once before he dies—that threatens to undo most of the goodwill fitzgibbon’s film had engendered up to that point . even that not - too - promising story thread , however , resolves itself in an agreeably mature and moving manner . in its wide - ranging exploration of how this sickly young man copes with the knowledge that his days are numbered , death of a superhero turns out to be more intelligent , honest , and resonant than one might have expected .
adolescence is often portrayed as a matter of life and death , but that’s pretty much the case in helmer ian fitzgibbon ’s coming - of - age - with - cancer romance “death of a superhero . ” pic sidesteps cloying sentimentality and heavy - handedness with the help of a solid cast , led by thomas brodie - sangster as a budding graphic novelist whose days may be numbered , but whose imagination fills the screen with macabre cartoons fueled by anger , frustration and an artistic soul . mix of live - action and animation could attract a youth audience , but the pic’s general appeal will lie in its honesty and touching performances .
a synchronous coming - of - age / coming - of - death story , the teen ' s complex mindset comes at us by way of an inventive live - action / graphics mix . like the boy , the film steadfastly steers clear of the mawkish .
affleck was named as executive producer of the justice league films last week , according to the site . and birth . movies . death claims the timing is no coincidence as warner battles to save its superhero cinematic universe following batman v superman’s critical travails .
„death of a superhero“ is a drama about illness , comics , superheroes and teenage problems . the 14 - year old protagonist donald has leukemia , and after going through several rounds of therapy , has to accept that he´ll not grow to adulthood . to forget daily life , his anger and all his problem he draws comics , imagining himself as an invincible superhero . after his parents realised that he won´t be able to cope with his anger on his own , they contact a therapist and counsellor dr . adrian king . dr . king tries to help donald with fulfilling his biggest wish , having sex with a girl before his death .
death of a superhero combines elements of comic book , film script and novel writing and is therefore highly amusing to read . the characters are instantly lovable , each one with their own flaws , hopes and dreams and the story , as it is written is very touching . i went from laughing out loud moments to wanting to cry in just one page . a must read and a real page turner .
ben affleck was “incredibly unhappy” about the derisive reviews batman v superman : dawn of justice received , according to well - regarded fan site birth . movies . death .
however , in many ways there was lost opportunity to step out of the coming - to - terms - with - death formula that can’t be accomplished with cartoon fantasies alone . the supporting characters — the new outsider girl at school who finds donald interesting ; the popular , handsome , womanizing older brother ; and the like — were well - acted but remained unmoving . though death of a superhero can at once be sweet and devastatingly sad , the movie just doesn’t tell a story that’s all that new .
a new report alleges the oscar - winning film - maker was “humiliated” by the negative reception afforded to zack snyder’s sprawling superhero smackdown after bigging up the film in promotional interviews . affleck had suffered a knock to his reputation after starring in the poorly received superhero movie daredevil in 2003 .
‘death of a superhero’ was produced by grand pictures in dublin and bavaria pictures in germany and part funded by the irish film board . the film stars andy serkis ( the rise of the planet of the apes , the lord of the rings ) thomas brodie - sangster ( love actually , nowhere boy ) , michael mcelhatton ( intermission , adam & paul , i went down ) and sharon horgan ( pulling ) .
. . . a thoughtful , insightful , even philosophical portrait of lives worth living , regardless of timeframe .
because , as sometimes happens , despite a poor critical reception , a lot of people simply love it .
death of a superhero ” doesn’t sugarcoat anything — neither cancer nor the awkward , unpleasant ways people deal with it . it’s a far cry from the broader comedy of the current “50 / 50 , ” but there’s a kinship between both films in their attempts to make cancer something other than a plot point or an ominous death sentence , and to acknowledge that people ordinarily deal with incipient catastrophe through a mix of unhappiness and laughter , graveyard humor and tears . in doing this , fitzgibbon ( “perrier’s bounty” ) has achieved something special ; even a late scene , in which donald’s friends ( with dr . king as an accomplice ) arrange for a prostitute to ensure that donald doesn’t die a virgin , is handled well . much of the credit for this goes to jessica schwarz , playing one of the more sensitive hookers in recent cinema .
anthony mccarten’s debut novel , spinners , won international acclaim , and was followed by the english harem and the award winning death of a superhero , and show of hands , all four books being translated into fourteen languages . mccarten has also written twelve stage plays , including the worldwide success ladies’ night , which won france’s molière prize , the meilleure pièce comique , in 2001 , and via satellite , which he adapted into a feature film and directed , premiered at the 1999 cannes film festival . also a filmmaker , he has thrice adapted his own plays or novels into feature films , most recently death of a superhero ( 2011 ) which premiered at the toronto international film festival . anthony divides his time between london and los angeles .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans . it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
ahead of filming resuming , deadpool star ryan reynolds led a moment of silence for harris . as seen in the below video from tmz , he stood at the center of a group of crew members , who bowed their heads as the actor shared a few words .
even when supplying a one - off character for a one - off film , tarantino can’t help but create something memorable . death proof ’s stuntman mike won’t go down as one of cinema’s greatest characters , but his macho murderer - turned wimpy supplicant is full of surprises and offers kurt russell - a guy already blessed with a number of iconic characters under his belt - with yet another unique and timeless persona .
series , which somehow never manages to make it in the film world . the series’ latest reboot did a measly $ 26 . 2 million on its opening weekend – a fraction of its $ 120 million budget – making it one of the lowest openings for a big - budget superhero movie of all time . while both films have now earned back their production costs , their sluggish performance is a slap in the face for studios , proving that not all superhero movies are the bankable prospect they once were .
a judge in new york has freed harvey weinstein on continued bail after he denied accusations of assaulting a third woman .
exactly how much time they have left , however , is uncertain . needless to say the superhero sub - genre has been done to death , and when both industry heavyweights and those involved in the making of these films are making predictions as to their demise , we know we’re on the downward slope .
anthony mccarten’s debut novel , spinners , won international acclaim , and was followed by the english harem and the award winning death of a superhero , and show of hands , all four books being translated into fourteen languages . mccarten has also written twelve stage plays , including the worldwide success ladies’ night , which won france’s molière prize , the meilleure pièce comique , in 2001 , and via
a mix of live - action and animation , superhero tells the story of a dying 15 - year - old boy who draws tales of an invincible superhero as he struggles with his mortality , finds an unexpected love and makes peace with his parents . andy serkis , thomas brodie - sangster , jessica schwarz and aisling loftus star in the movie , which was directed by ian fitzgibbon . anthony mccarten adapted the screenplay from his own novel .
harvey weinstein has arrived at a manhattan courthouse for arraignment on charges alleging he committed a sex crime against a third woman .
a really great film and thomas sangster is a seriously underrated actor . why has no one ever heard of this film ?
one of the founding grandfathers of the hollywood blockbuster , steven spielberg , recently spoke out about the future of superhero movies , predicting that the genre will “go the way of the western” and die out , at least in the way that we now know it . we’re all familiar with the term “too much of a good thing” and it seems the cinema - going public are not as crazy about superhero films as they were , say , five years ago . while this recent obsession with the genre is not anything new – superhero films have been around for quite some time – it’s the quantity of these films currently being made that could signal its demise .
it ' s a good week for limited releases , mostly because it is the week the best - exotic marigold hotel comes out . given its international run , its chances at success on the domestic front are very strong . there are a couple other new releases that i ' m cautiously optimistic about : death of a superhero and first position . perhaps summer will get off to a strong start on the limited release front as well as the wide release front . more . . .
opened on top of the per theater chart with a record - breaking average of $ 47 , 698 . this is the highest ever for a number one film .
pic sidesteps cloying sentimentality and heavy - handedness with the help of a solid cast .
one of my favorite movies of all time and i watched it just . . .
wired a visually stunning , endearing story that is well - acted and part of a timeless narrative about coping with one’s mortality .
donald ' s parents send him to dr . adrian king ( andy serkis ) , a therapist with a matter - of - fact approach to death who challenges donald ' s defensive attitude . despite his initial resistance , donald finds himself opening up to the doctor , who treats him as an adult rather than a child to be pitied . better yet , he strikes up a promising friendship with a fellow misfit named shelly .
sat in his trailer on the last day of filming for a bit - part in the charming doctor who spin - off sarah jane adventures , he got a call from his agent : game of thrones was back on , and they wanted to see him as ser loras , the knight of flowers . he was a hit with fans , and – in a stroke of luck – his character ' s death on the hbo show coincided with jones landing an audition for iron fist , alongside his thrones colleague jessica henwick .
while there could be multiple underlying reasons for the reboot’s failure , the point is that hollywood is able to make a great standalone superhero film , but in a larger context it all comes down to audiences . so while hollywood might think “more is more” when it comes to superhero movies , audiences still want to be entertained , and a churned out rehash of the same rough storyline – albeit with new talent – just won’t cut it in today’s landscape .
a generally affecting and occasionally insightful drama about the ways people handle an awareness of mortality .
by creating a urltoken account , you agree with the terms of service and privacy policy .
the mini - series would start in may and finish in october . during that little period , marvel would simply stop all of its superhero comics series dead in their tracks and temporarily replace them with mini - series set in regions of battleworld . the company had never tried a gamble of this size before , but was hoping the newness and interconnectedness of it would cause readers to buy as many secret wars –related comics as they could . once the secret wars mini - series was done , everything would return to a new , post - battleworld status quo in relaunched versions of marvel’s superhero series .
as steven spielberg recently told associated press : “we were around when the western died and there will be a time when the superhero movie goes the way of the western . it doesn’t mean there won’t be another occasion where the western comes back and the superhero movie someday returns [ … ] i’m only saying that these cycles have a finite time in popular culture . there will come a day when the mythological stories are supplanted by some other genre that possibly some young filmmaker is just thinking about discovering for all of us . ”
the superhero - comics industry is a strange beast . we live in a world where licensed properties based on superhero comics are some of the most consistent , reliable blue - chip entertainment products around : as our david edelstein once pointed out , too much money is at stake for a studio to allow any major superhero movie ( well , excluding fantastic four ) to be a true disaster . even the much - delayed and director - swapping ant - man ended up as a smooth , easily understandable bit of filmmaking that fit seamlessly into disney’s totalitarian master plans for franchise - wide continuity . but the source material those movies are based on is more ambitiously crazy and disastrously overcomplicated than anything else in the artistic landscape — both in terms of the stories they tell and the business model their publishers use to tell them .
django’s heroics supply the culmination of an epic journey from slave to icon , an unprecedented arc from tarantino . schultz , while a great character to be sure , is merely a part of django’s superhero origin story . just as candie - our marquee villain - displays antagonism that lacks the wit and guile of his faux - humble servant , stephen , shultz’s charisma and volume hides the fact that he is merely the facilitator of django’s ascension .
then again , it’s frustrating to see such strong characters stuck in so many stock high - school - romance / angst - ridden - teen scenarios : the pot - smoking scene , the room - smashing scene , the party where brodie - sangster drives loftus away because he refuses to call her his girlfriend , etc . there’s a comfortable shape to death of a superhero , which is understandable as a business decision , given how dark the subject matter is , and also disappointing as a creative choice , given the potential this movie had to be something uniquely stinging . fitzgibbon and mccarten have succeeded in integrating cancer into a slick teen love story , but in the process , they’ve robbed it of some of its necessary pain .
in other words : if movies are , as roger ebert famously said , “like a machine that generates empathy , ” superhero comics are a machine that generates obsession . they are quite often impenetrable to a casual reader , and total comprehension would require a near - infinite amount of reading , rereading , and wikipedia searching . and no writer has been more openly obsessed with marvel’s convolution than hickman .
’m intrigued . which characteristics are problematic ? “there are plenty of problems with danny rand . he’s full of flaws and contradictions . on the one hand , he’s a billionaire superhero . on the other hand , he’s attempting to be a warrior . ” oh . is that really what he meant ? “that’s all i meant by that statement . ”
of course it’s not to say that all superhero films are struggling ; avengers : age of ultron was a massive commercial success that studios are eagerly trying to repeat , with the movie grossing $ 1 . 402 billion to date . however the genre is being over - saturated , and for superhero movies to keep making an impact , studios are forced to pull out bigger and bolder ideas each time around , and this model is simply not sustainable .
the problem here is that there are only so many cult superhero comics out there , and the best ones are being milked by studios for all they’re worth , which in turn is watering down the already limited source material available . while studios could go and write a brand new superhero movie with original characters and plot lines , the truth is they don’t . after all , the success of superhero films comes largely from their rich history as comic books , and studios are more interested in cultivating the already successful ones that have a loyal following . after all , hollywood filmmaking has become more about guaranteed returns than risk taking , and what says failsafe more than a series that already has legions of fans ?
in this case , though , the odds are more like 100 / 0 . superhero is based on a 2007 novel by anthony mccarten , who changed the setting from new zealand to ireland for his screenplay but maintains the book ' s bleak outlook . comics storyboards from the book are replaced with animated interludes in which donald ' s caped - crusader alter ego appears to be targeted by death ' s minions for the simple fact of existing .
having trouble finding a client ? try typing the first four letters of their first or last name .
while it’s never easy to predict what will transpire narratively , any new quentin tarantino film comes with a reliable set of expectations . dialog will sing ; chronology and structure will play by their own rules . a lot of people are likely to get killed in a variety of shocking , sometimes hilarious ways .
it’s a shocking moment , not the kind of narrative left turn most films would even consider . but tarantino knows what he’s doing . with schultz suddenly out of the picture , django finds himself surrounded by a sizable staff of southern plantation workers who have been itching to kill him since he arrogantly arrived dressed to the nines and riding a horse . he could not possibly be in a worse spot . here we finally see the django tarantino has been saving for us - not the poor fellow in a tight spot but the all - out superhero doling out the vindictive wrath befitting an entire culture of dehumanization and cruelty .
if you believe that any content of this website violates your copyright , please see our copyright policy for instructions on sending us a notice of copyright infringement .
the story of a 15 - year - old boy who uses comic - book art to cope with his rapidly failing health , superhero has more than a little in common with 2011 ' s 50 / 50 , right down to a hearty endorsement of marijuana ' s medicinal properties . and as the volatile donald , thomas brodie - sangster communicates so much with simple looks , his anger and fear only occasionally giving way to flits of joy , that he resembles no one so much as a young joseph gordon - levitt .
inspired by real events , death of a superhero is an original fusion of novel , comic book and film script . donald delpe is a troubled teenager . not only is he a ' terrible teen ' by default , as obsessed with sex , music and drugs as the rest of his gang , but he is also suffering from a life - threatening form of leukemia , which makes him an even more difficult boy , both for his parents and his teachers . escaping into his own comic - book realm of immortal superheroes , ruthless villains and sex - crazed vamps , he repeatedly dashes his family ' s hopes by refusing to fight the battles facing him in the real world . as famous psychologist dr . king is brought in to help , a glimmer of hope is rekindled . but will the doctor break the rules , betray the parents ' trust and risk everything to help donald achieve his greatest wish ? or will donald be the one to save the doctor ?
superhero movies aren’t anything new , yet the speed and quantity at which they’re been arriving in recent years is unheard of . while some classics of the genre might have received a makeover every once in a while ( with batman no stranger to a remake ) , the sheer pace of films being remade – sometimes planned the minute they’ve left one director’s hands – is mind - boggling . sure it was bold for marvel to begin a brand - new spider - man series only ten years after the first , but announcing a new batman generation just one year after the last of the highly lauded dark knight films came to cinemas ? that is surely moving on too quick .
tired isn’t as deep and imaginative as a story about a deep and imaginative teenager suffering from cancer should be .
to be fair , fans who write amateur reviews of superhero movies might be biased . averaging the positive user - review percentages , i found rotten tomatoes contributors are five percentage points more likely than critics to give one of these films a positive review , probably because they’re the sort of people who want see costumed megahumans punch things to begin with . even so , suicide squad sets a striking record . it is almost certainly the biggest disagreement between critics and moviegoers over a marvel / dc movie to date .
on the 25 th of april 2013 the english elective course group of ms . vogler got the unique chance to meet a new zealand novelist . a few months before mr . fuschelberger , the father of one of our classmates , asked whether we would like to join a book presentation at the “literaturhaus salzburg” . after we thankfully agreed he visited us in one of our english lessons to tell us some interesting facts about the book and prepare us for the lection .
donald’s imagination rivals his talent , and his drawings come to life throughout the film as he retreats into the fantasy world he has created for himself , in which he is a strong but socially withheld superhero fighting a twisted villain — his cancer . he’s dismissive of therapy and ambivalent about fitting in at school . his parents worry about his avoidance of his fate . “oh god , not again , ” says his worried mother as he is escorted home once more by police for tagging a building with one of his drawings .
death of a superhero is an odd book . odd , in a good way . donald delpe appears to be your typical teenager . 14 years old , sex - obsessed ( even though . . . or maybe because he ' s never had sex ) and troubled . troubled , as in
leukemia - - no real hope
. after an attempted suicide , donny is assigned to dr . adrian king , a renowned psychologist . with his help , donny sets out to get his last wish fulfilled . guess what ? he wants to have sex . although sometimes difficult to follow , the writing style is fabulous .
with a director like fitzgibbon handling material like this with a cast anchored by serkis and sangster i expect great things .
the latest release from ian fitzgibbon , director of a film with me in it , does work hard - and responsibly - at injecting colour into this most troubling of scenarios .
i already submitted a review about this . what i forgot to mention in it is that the coloration of the movie changes with the changes in the mood of the protagonist .
all products featured were editorially selected . urltoken may receive a percentage of sales for items purchased from these links . © 2018 meredith corporation all rights reserved . use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms of use and privacy policy ( your california privacy rights ) . | eu data subject requests
after several cycles of chemotherapy , 14 - year - old donald ( thomas sangster ) feels he has little left to hope for . worst of all , he might die a virgin . when donald ' s parents urge him to confront his feelings , he retreats further into his own head , channelling his thoughts into sinister and eerily beautiful comic book drawings . in the universe of his sketches , donald is no longer a skinny teen with leukemia . instead , he becomes a brawny superhero dedicated to fighting his archenemy : a mad scientist called the the glove , who wields syringes for fingers .
he begins to see the light , so to speak , when he meets an unconventional therapist , played by andy serkis ( who played gollum in the lord of the rings movies but looks nothing like a tolkien character in this film ) . the doctor’s specific type of practice is called thanatology . “dr . death , ” says donald . the two form a trusting bond , and his relationship with the therapist helps donald start to sort out what’s happening to him .
this book will make you emotional . no , scratch that : it will rip your heart out . the story of don , sick with cancer , who is caught between a fake comic world with miracles and the harsh reality of his pending death is just so damn sad . first his resignation , than his fighting , than his parent’s fighting for him - so many emotions , so many tears . i liked the layout of the book , which was written like a script - that did not distract from the story , it just made it easier to think like don . there a
facing terminal cancer , 15 - year - old donald ( thomas brodie - sangster ) escapes into drawing comic - book art and imagining himself an invulnerable superhero . tribeca film hide caption
as fine as mcelhatton and horgan are , they’re overshadowed by two standouts in addition to brodie - sangster . one is andy serkis , who plays dr . adrian king , the unorthodox death therapist , or thanatologist , to whom donald’s parents bring their son and with whom he forms a bond . serkis is something of a revelation , perhaps because his best - known roles have him disguised as something otherworldly or animalistic ( caesar in the recent “rise of the planet of the apes , ” for instance , or gollum in the “lord of the rings” trilogy ) , and here is very human indeed .
i didn ' t want to bog it down to be a sad cancer film so i did a little bit of research with the cancer . i wanted to make sure that he was a kid and the fact that he had cancer was a secondary aspect . i just wanted to make sure he is a person in his own right ,
he said .
from tribeca film . andy serkis ( the hobbit , rise of the planet of the apes ) and thomas brodie - sangster ( love actually , nowhere boy ) star in this exceptional and honest portrayal of a teenager struggling with his own mortality .
one of my favorite movies of all time and i watched it just because angus and julia stone ' s ' for you ' was in it . great movie , great cast , acting , artwork , it had a little bit of everything .
andy serkis plays a psychologist who helps talk donald through what he wants out of his remaining days . tribeca film hide caption
© copyright 2018 variety media , llc , a subsidiary of penske business media , llc . variety and the flying v logos are trademarks of variety media , llc . powered by urltoken vip
for the better part of ten years , he crafted a megastory that involved all of marvel’s characters , stories , and parallel universes . it began in fantastic four , continued when he was put in charge of two series called avengers and new avengers , expanded when he orchestrated a so - called “event” ( a comics - industry term referring to a major story that involves most of marvel’s series ) called “infinity , ” and ultimately led up to marvel’s biggest event in history : 2015’s “secret wars . ”
this book will make you emotional . no , scratch that : it will rip your heart out . the story of don , sick with cancer , who is caught between a fake comic world with miracles and the harsh reality of his pending death is just so damn sad . first his resignation , than his fighting , than his parent’s fighting for him - so many emotions , so many tears . i liked the layout of the book , which was written like a script - that did not distract from the story , it just made it easier to think like don . there are even “outtakes and deleted scenes” at the end , which serve as a prologue . mccarten writes a fresh view on love and sex and about what is really desirable for young people , and he writes about death . the novel is funny , but of course also has dark sides . and i would call the humor very bizarre . it is certainly unusual , just like the whole book is . with this , anthony mccarten has definitely and unchangeably landed himself on my list of favorite authors . bravo for this book . even though you need half a box of tissues to get through it .
perhaps that’s why studios are doing their best to cash in on superhero movies right now , as they know the opportunity won’t last forever . with the rise in home - streaming services and paramount’s move to launch movies on demand just two weeks after theatrical releases , the landscape is certainly changing and box office openings could soon be a thing of the past if studios radically change their distribution methods . as such , they want to get their high - impact superhero properties into profit - making movie theaters while they can .
justice league parts one and two , due in november 2017 and june 2019 respectively , will see affleck’s caped crusader begin to build the titular superhero team hinted at in dawn of justice . snyder has been named as the director of both movies , but there has been speculation he could be replaced following batman v superman’s difficulties .
the amazing spider - man was set to be a visually darker take on the superhero , and while andrew garfield in the lead role kicked off a load of hype and garnered a fairly good critical reception , the film didn’t really live up . whether it was too soon to revive the series – with a mere five years between the end of raimi’s trilogy and the first of marc webb’s – or the shot - for - shot similarities were enough to deter potential viewers , the amazing spider - man under - performed . delivering only $ 154 million in domestic opening weekend gross for the first two films , the franchise was then cut short prematurely .
ew people would choose danny rand , created in the seventies to cash in on the kung - fu craze , as their favourite superhero . in the comics , a plane crash leaves the blond , blue - eyed young orphan billionaire stranded in the mystical tibetan city of k ' un - l ' un , where after years of training he becomes the iron fist – their greatest warrior – before returning to fight evil in his home city of new york . in
movies and tv shows are certified fresh with a steady tomatometer of 75 % or higher after a set amount of reviews ( 80 for wide - release movies , 40 for limited - release movies , 20 for tv shows ) , including 5 reviews from top critics .
a 14 - year - old leads his two half - brothers ( one older , one an infant ) on a journey to find and live as a family with his father after their mother dies .
for an industry that is now completely dictated by numbers ( at least on the hollywood side of things ) where budgets are weighed against box office takings and opening weekends against lifetime gross figures , it’s only money that matters . and increasingly the superhero numbers don’t look good .
death of a superhero is an odd book . odd , in a good way . donald delpe appears to be your typical teenager . 14 years old , sex - obsessed ( even though . . . or maybe because he ' s never had sex ) and troubled . troubled , as in
leukemia - - no real hope
. after an attempted suicide , donny is assigned to dr . adrian king , a renowned psychologist . with his help , donny sets out to get his last wish fulfilled . guess what ? he wants to have sex . although sometimes difficult to follow , the writing style is fabulous . the book is written in some movie - script kind of way . at times , you ' d even get script - lines from the comic donald is drawing . miracleman , the superhero he ' d like to be . donald is a wonderful protagonist . you don ' t really get his thoughts , only the things he says and does , but you can still feel with him . adrian king is another great character . especially when he literally sets out to find a prostitute for donald , he ' s awesome . i really like this book with all its oddity and seriousness . even though i felt the ending came kind of abrupt . a great book , you should definitely consider reading it . urltoken
this book made me cry and i loved every bit of it . well , the story . . the crying not so much . but its always a good sign when a book really makes you feel something .
highsnobiety has steadily built a strong brand in the online fashion and lifestyle world . today the blog and print magazine sit among the most visited global sources for inspiration in the areas of fashion , sneakers , music , art and lifestyle culture . innovation , progression and always being several steps ahead of the curve are just some of the core values of highsnobiety .
a love story with a twist concerning a man who supports his team more than he supports his girlfriend . the cast features seán t . ó meallaigh who has already worked on a number of irish language productions including na cloigne , rásaí na gaillimhe and corp & anam . spanish actress susana bas plays the part of judy , and the cast also includes actors sibéal davitt and andrew lynch . the film was produced as part of the ‘físín’ , a competition run by the dingle international film festival to promote irish language filmmaking . as part of the scheme , teach solais sponsored the lighting equipment . the camera and lenses were provided by panavision ireland .
the whole two hour presentation was made round by private and funny stories told by the likeable author . among other details he e . g . told us of his son , who acted as a hobbit in the „lord of the ring“ movies and this of course made us all laugh .
welcome ! you are now a registered user of nymag . com , thecut . com , vulture . com , urltoken and grubstreet . com .
the plot of the film is integral to the joy of experiencing it , so i will be intentionally vague . the story deals with a teenager who has cancer . how he copes and who goes on the journey with him are the basis of the story . i would say the film is worth watching for that alone ! as far as the technical part - scenes are shot at home , school , hospital , as well as country and sea side . there is a good bit of animation interspersed into the entire work as well as some very graphic comic style art . sounds a bit hectic , eh ? ( film festival entries can be a bit of a risk - hand held cameras bouncing up and down and boom mikes in the corner of the picture . . . : ) in my opinion , the director created magic . . . the timing between dramatic scenes and the graphic was perfect . camera distance and motion were never distracting from the action or dialog . i distinctly noted the stillness and framing of the scenery shots - it has been a while since i have seen a movie where the camera was allowed to be that calm ! ! ( definitely a plus for me ) . the very blending of locations , artistic styles , and pacing of the movie are what lend to the magic of the storytelling . andy serkis was incredible in his role as a
thanatologist
( basically , a therapist who deals with death ) . and all of the other actors were well chosen - no one detracts . conclusion - great story , great cinematography , graphics , and scenery , solid actors , and some great soundtrack music ( lucy farrell and john kearney , i believe
to the boy
being the most memorable track ) last note - irish ! ! ! be prepared to handle a little brogue . . . : ) i highly recommend you see this film ! all the best , jay
the resultant problem with this formula is that at a certain point , the films themselves become a monopoly on the market . when more money is being funneled into a few big superhero flicks , it leaves less for the smaller budget features , which in some cases then don’t even get made . this situation is further exacerbated when the two biggest players in the comic book universe – marvel and dc – go head - to - head with major releases , and end up blowing all other “smaller” stories out of the water .
regardless of quality ? perhaps . until we eventually reach saturation point , and the super - bubble bursts . on the way to meet jones in a five - star new york hotel , i stop to look through a shop window . it’s filled with the kind of vacuum - packed collectibles that line many a comic fan’s bedroom shelves . there are hulk dolls , spider - man bobbleheads , an abundance of x - men . i spend several minutes scanning the display for a cuddly iron fist . i can’t find one .


toni erdmann is a 2016 german-austrian comedy-drama film directed , written and co-produced by maren ade .

it stars peter simonischek and sandra hüller .

the film , which premiered in competition at the cannes film festival , was named the best film of 2016 by sight & sound and other respected cinema magazines .

it won five awards at the 29th european film awards : best film ( a first for a film directed by a woman ) , best director , best screenwriter , best actor , and best actress .

it also won the european parliament lux prize .

it was nominated for the best foreign language film at the 89th academy awards and was considered the strong favourite for the award ; it lost to the salesman .

toni erdmann

peter simonischek and sandra hüller in toni erdmann . photograph : komplizen film / ap
“toni erdmann” also won best actress for sandra hüller and best actor for peter simonischek .
sandra huller , toni erdmann : a risky , accomplished , even nakedly hilarious performance .
toni erdmann’s sandra hüller : ‘everybody knows the german clichés . maybe they ' re true '
oscar nominations include german comedy ′toni erdmann′ | film | dw | 24 . 01 . 2017
german comedy ' toni erdmann ' was the night ' s other big winner , earning three awards .
this is a remake of the german film of the same name , toni erdmann ( 2016 ) .
both films head into the january 22 ceremony with seven nominations , while ' toni erdmann ' scores six .
looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing toni erdmann near you .
it is with rare confidence that i can say you have not seen a movie quite like “toni erdmann . ”
the critical hit
toni erdmann
stars sandra hüller and peter simonischek . ( carolyn cole / los angeles times )
sandra hüller and peter simonischek in toni erdmann , which swept the board at the european film awards 2016 . photograph : handout
sony pictures classics’ acquisition of “toni erdmann” for north and latin america was one of the centerpiece deals of this year’s cannes festival .
since world premiering at cannes in competition , “toni erdmann” won a best film nomination at the the british independent film awards , among a flurry of nominations and prizes . sony pictures classics has rights to “toni erdmann , ” along with “elle” and “julieta . ”
needless to say , the writing on the wall couldn’t be clearer : there will be a hollywood remake of “toni erdmann . ”
peter simonischek in “toni erdmann , ” a german film , directed by maren ade , that is being widely praised for its quirkiness .
toni erdmann is a german comedy drama in which a man tries to reconnect with his daughter by accompanying her on a business trip .
german comedy toni erdmann has won the film of the year honor voted on by the international federation of film critics ( fipresci ) .
toni erdmann director ade’s acceptance into the upper echelons of the filmmaking universe will see her be a member of the jury at cannes .
summary toni erdmann is a german comedy drama in which a man tries to reconnect with his daughter by accompanying her on a business trip .
toni erdmann stars sandra huller as an ambitious businesswoman whose career path is thrown off course when her father , a tireless practical joker ( played by german theater star peter simonischek ) pays her an unannounced visit as his alter ego toni erdmann , a wacky “consultant and life coach . ”
but it was not to be . toni erdmann was all - conquering , with sandra hüller winning best actress and peter simonischek winning best actor .
practical joker winfried disguises himself as flashy “toni erdmann” to get busy ines’ attention and change her corporate lifestyle . the father - daughte . . .
enter “toni erdmann , ” an alter - ego winfried hatches thanks to a set of absurdly white false teeth . as winfried looks to relieve some of the family tension via toni , he creates more of his own .
toni erdmann
has plenty to say about parenting , ambition , feminism and modern happiness , but not enough to justify its absurdly longwinded running time .
directed by maren ade , toni erdmann premiered at the cannes film festival and is germany ' s official candidate for next year ' s foreign film oscar .
maren ade’s “toni erdmann’ swept five awards , including film , director and screenwriter at the 29th european film awards during a ceremony held in wroclaw , poland .
1 . barry jenkins , moonlight 2 . damien chazelle , la la land 3 . maren ade , toni erdmann 4 . kenneth lonergan , manchester by the sea
jack nicholson , who hasn’t appeared in a feature film since 2010 , will star opposite kristen wiig in the english - language remake of “ toni erdmann . ”
ot only does german humour exist , it might just save your life . that’s one of many horizon - altering takeaways from the exquisite toni erdmann , the new
it ' s rare that oscar gives comedies their due , and while “toni erdmann” isn ' t a typical one , it ' s worth the time investment .
she didn’t feel a similar experience with toni erdmann after it’s sensational cannes debut . “well i’m 12 years older now and i feel more safe with myself . ”
sandra hüller in “toni erdmann . ” ms . ade , the film’s director , said , “we were very happy that the comic aspect came out while editing . ”
toni erdmann , which will be released in the uk on 3 february , is one of three films with female directors to make this year ' s top five .
but the upstart german filmmaker maren ade employed an especially unconventional technique in greeting the stars of her new picture
toni erdmann
for the romanian portion of production .
toni erdmann , which premiered in cannes to near - universal critical acclaim , stars sandra huller as an ambitious business woman whose career path is thrown off course when her father , a tireless practical joker ( peter simonischek ) , pays her an unannounced visit as his alter ego toni erdmann , a wacky
consultant and life coach .
at nearly three hours ,
toni erdmann
is expansive but rarely self - indulgent , and the emotional payoff , when it comes , feels truly and bizarrely earned .
sold by the match factory , “toni erdmann” is a komplizen film production in co - production with coop99 , knm , missing link films and swr / wdr / arte .
cannes favourite toni erdmann has struck a sweet note for distributor nfp in germany , attracting more than 80 , 000 admissions over its first weekend and close to $ 1m .
a remake of german film toni erdmann ( 2016 ) about a dad who creates an alter ego for himself in an effort to connect with his polar - opposite daughter .
1 . isabelle huppert , elle 2 . natalie portman , jackie 3 . sandra hüller , toni erdmann 4 . emma stone , la la land 5 . sonia braga , aquarius
maren ade’s “toni erdmann’ swept five awards , including film , director and screenwriter at the 29th european film awards during a ceremony held in wroclaw , poland . “toni erdmann” also won best actress for sandra hüller and best actor for peter simonischek . ade , who dedicated her screenwriting prize to her father , won best director over ken loach , [ … ]
“toni erdmann” doesn ' t just defy the expectation that a comedy has to be short and punchy . it also shows that it can have rich , well - acted characters .
even jack nicholson wants in on the sudden craze for german films . it’s been reported that he was so enamoured by toni erdmann that he wants to star in a remake .
correction : an earlier version of this story reported that “toni erdmann” won the golden globe for foreign film in 2017 . it was nominated for the award , “elle” was the winner .
toni erdmann was produced by komplizen film ( janine jackowski and jonas dornbach ) in co - production with coop99 , knm , missing link films , and swr / wdr / arte .
slowly , through the poignancy of its writing and brilliance of its two leads , toni erdmann wins you over , worming its way into your mind and heart both , in equal measure .
maren ade ' s german dramedy toni erdmann on wednesday added another award to its trophy case , winning the lux film prize , the annual film honor handed out by the european parliament .
toni erdmann did not pick up prizes in cannes but is a possible contender for best foreign film at next year’s oscars , with the shortlist due to be released in the coming days .
1 . casey affleck , manchester by the sea 2 . adam driver , paterson 3 . colin farell , the lobster 4 . peter simonischek , toni erdmann 5 . denzel washington , fences
rumor is george miller hated toni erdmann and pressured the rest of the jury away from it . . . and towards many , many movies no one seemed to like . what a shitshow
i think toni erdmann is an acceptable movie , but by no means one of the best of the year or other exaggerations that have been said out there . [ full review in spanish ]
moonlight was named this year ' s best picture by the toronto film critics association . the german comedy toni erdmann and manchester by the sea were runners - up in the best film category .
is this a bad idea , or a really bad idea ? … kristen wiig and jack nicholson are set to star in an english - language remake of toni erdmann . composite : getty images
peter simonischek and sandra hüller star in the german film
toni erdmann ,
set for a christmas day u . s . release . ( liz o . baylen / los angeles times )
updated : variety also is reporting kristen wiig attached to play jack nicholson ’s daughter in paramount’s english - language remake of toni erdmann . the studio has not returned requests for comment on these .
the best foreign language film category is a race between elle , the handmaiden and toni erdmann , while cameraperson , o . j . made in america and 13 th occupy the best documentary slots .
maren ade ' s cannes competition entry toni erdmann , one of the best - reviewed films in the running for this year ' s palme d ' or , is being snatched up by international distributors .
ade , 39 , spoke to thr ahead of toni erdmann’s cannes debut about family dynamics , having a second baby while finishing the film and why she’s in favor of a subsidy quota for female directors .
toni erdmann is produced by ade , jonas dornbach , janine jackowski , michel merkt , co - produced by bruno wagner , antonin svoboda , david keitsch , sebastian schipper , and executive produced by ada solomon .
montréal festival nouveau cinéma awards german - austrian co - production toni erdmann with a louve d’or and the best performance prize to peter simonischek . the special mention went to tizza covi & rainer frimmel’s mister universo .
toni erdmann tells the story of practical joker winfried ( peter simonischek ) , who disguises himself as the absurd , offensive character toni erdmann to get his daughter ines ( sandra huller ) to pay attention to him and to try and get her to change her all - work - no - fun lifestyle . the review for the hollywood reporter called it “the best 162 - minute german comedy you ' ll ever see . ”
toni erdmann is a peculiar , engaging hybrid of a film . part of its acclaim may stem from the juxtaposition of two adjectives that don ' t typically go together :
funny
and
german .
toni erdmann , which bowed in limited release last december before receiving an oscar nomination for best foreign language film , competed for the palme d’or at cannes and won five european film awards , including best european film .
but while centering on the relationship between a shaggy elderly jokester and his uptight adult daughter ,
toni erdmann
also manages a thematic juggling act . a film about oppositional family dynamics ends up as an inquiry into much more , with feminism , globalism and corporate culture all falling under its gaze . american movies tend to be about either very big stakes or very intimate relationships .
toni erdmann
pulls off both at once .
there ' s another simple reason we should be talking toni erdmann ; it ' s a german comedy - a sparsely populated genre . a carefully crafted and honest film about artistic father winfried connecting with business orientated daughter ines , toni erdmann isn ' t an endless series of laugh - out - loud gags so much as a terrifically funny opening scene and climax , with the in - between littered with gags and observations about family .
said director ade , “sony pictures classics’ list of films and directors is so impressive . it’s a great honour that toni erdmann is the newest addition to their slate , and i am looking forward to this experience . ”
in the remaining acting categories , adam driver was chosen as best actor for playing a poetic bus driver in paterson , with runner - ups in the category being casey affleck for manchester and peter simonischek for toni erdmann .
a total of 85 countries are in the competition for the 2017 academy award for best foreign language film . germany is also on the list with the comedy
toni erdmann .
( 12 . 10 . 2016 )
“i feel extremely honored to be chosen by the people who have seen the most films over the years , ” said ade in a statement , thanking the critics “for giving toni erdmann such a great start in cannes . ”
the association voted the handmaiden as the best foreign - language film of the year . runners - up included toni erdmann ( 2 ) , elle ( 3 ) , neruda ( 4 ) and the salesman ( 5 ) .
the international success of toni erdmann made hüller the face of german cinema . her performance as a management consultant , whose father tries to get her to work less and play more , has had audiences and critics in raptures .
cannes — confirming its status as a palme d’or frontrunner , 2016 cannes sensation “toni erdmann” won the international critics’ prize saturday for best picture in cannes competition . plaudit was awarded by the international federation of film critics ( fipresci ) .
practical joker winfried disguises himself as flashy “toni erdmann” to get busy ines’ attention and change her corporate lifestyle . the father - daughter challenge reaches absurd proportions until ines begins to see that her eccentric father deserves a place in her life…
a year after taking cannes , and then the world , by storm with ade ' s toni erdmann , komplizen returns in style , with a film in un certain regard — valeska grisebach’s western — and ade on the competition jury . ahead of cannes , the trio sat down with the hollywood reporter to talk about a whirlwind year that launched them from obscurity to the oscars , the challenges facing avant - garde cinema and the news of a toni erdmann remake .
best non - english - language film elle – paul verhoeven , france fire at sea – gianfranco rosi , italy the handmaiden – chan - wook park , south korea julieta – pedro almodovar . spain toni erdmann – maren ede , germany
1 . moonlight 2 . manchester by the sea 3 . la la land 4 . toni erdmann 5 . oj : made in america 6 . paterson 7 . the handmaiden 8 . arrival 9 . hell or high water 10 . jackie
toni erdmann , an uproarious german comedy about a tricky father - daughter relationship , has swept the board at the european film awards , becoming the first movie made by a woman to win the top prize in its 29 - year history .
title toni erdmann year 2016 distributor ( s ) soda pictures ltd . classified date ( s ) 01 / 12 / 2016 main language english , german submitted run time 162m 14s approved footage 14601 + 0 bbfc reference aff347008 registration number cfj41000 remarks subtitled
winfried conradi misses his daughter , a successful businesswoman , so he pays an impromptu visit to her in bucharest . in toni erdmann german filmmaker maren ade creates a splendidly subversive romp ; peter simonischek and sandra hüller provide memorable performances in the leading roles
maren ade’s toni erdmann on a roll : after sweeping the five major distinctions at the european film awards , the german - austrian co - production was announced to be on the oscar shortlist for the foreign language award together with eight more candidates .
toni erdmann is notable for its unpredictability , its mashing of genres and , somewhat surprisingly , for its subtlety and sentimentality . plus , the performances of peter simonischek as winfried / toni and sandra hüller as ines are sharp and completely believable . simonischek walks a fine line in his portrayal of toni erdmann , giving us a character believable enough to seem plausibly real to ines’s colleagues , while allowing us to see winfried all the while . hüller is amazing as inez , gradually showing us the cracks in the armor of her tightly wound , emotionally suppressed character , and to engage our sympathies with a remarkably brave performance .
enter flashy toni erdmann : winfried’s smooth - talking alter ego . disguised in a tacky suit , weird wig and even weirder fake teeth , toni barges into ines’ professional life , claiming to be her ceo’s life coach . as toni , winfried is bolder and doesn’t hold back , but ines meets the challenge . the harder they push , the closer they become . in all the madness , ines begins to understand that her eccentric father might deserve some place in her life after all . .
european actor : rolf lassgård ( “a man called ove” ) hugh grant ( “florence foster jenkins” ) dave johns ( “i , daniel blake” ) burghart klaußner ( “the people vs . fritz bauer” ) peter simonischek ( “toni erdmann” ) javier cámara ( “truman” )
they say germans don’t have a sense of humor . how then to explain the fact that the year’s most innovative comedy , “ toni erdmann , ” hails from german writer - director maren ade ( whose name rhymes with “bar and spa day” ) ?
german - austrian co - production toni erdmann ( co - produced by coop99 filmproduktion ) tops its outstanding festival run with five major distinctions : european film 2016 , european director and european screenwriter maren ade , european actress sandra hüller and european actor peter simonischek .
small - budget , challenging european dramas ' i , daniel blake , ' ' elle ' and ' toni erdmann , ' are being celebrated at the european film awards this year , but are also the type of films finding it harder to get seen .
ade’s third feature , and by far her most ambitious , toni erdmann centres on winfried , an elderly music teacher who goes to bucharest to visit his daughter , ines , who has rejected his liberal values for a corporate career as a consultant advising on policy for an oil company . ines isn’t exactly delighted by his presence but winfried , a compulsive practical joker , can’t resist turning up inopportunely , disguised in a shaggy wig and ill - fitting false teeth as his spontaneously invented alter ego , life coach “toni erdmann” .
the heroines of toni erdmann and elle , meanwhile , bridle hard against their daddy issues , and choosing between sandra huller’s serious comic genius and isabelle huppert’s hilariously hard - edged brilliance is impossible ( although the cannes jury solved the problem by somehow citing neither ) .
sony pictures classics picked up toni erdmann for north america and latin america shortly after its cannes debut . the film will have its north american premiere at the toronto international film festival next month and is set for a dec . 25 release in the u . s .
during a recent interview with cnbc , murray , recognized by the academy for his work in sofia coppola’s 2003 drama lost in translation , explained how hollywood icon jack nicholson nabbed the lead role in the upcoming american remake of maren ade’s cannes comedy toni erdmann over him .
the 2016 new york film festival has filled its 25 - title main slate with buzzmagnet favorites from other stops on the festival circuit , with organizers announcing a lineup that includes “ i , daniel blake , ” “ toni erdmann ” and “ manchester by the sea . ”
the german - austrian - romanian co - production “toni erdmann” has won the 2016 european parliament lux prize , president martin schulz announced at a ceremony in the chamber in strasbourg on wednesday . the film explores a complex relationship between a father and daughter in contemporary corporate culture .
“toni erdmann” marks nicholson’s first film since playing a role in the james l . brooks dramedy “how do you know , ” which many in hollywood thought could have been the actor’s last major film . he also starred in the 2007 film “the bucket list” opposite morgan freeman .
in toni erdmann , the relationship in question is between a hippie father and his estranged daughter . worried her life as a corporate executive isn’t making her happy , the father takes extreme measures , dressing up as a rude practical joker and disrupting her life to provoke a confrontation .
german cinema is experiencing a renaissance . at the cannes film festival , fatih akin’s in the fade will be competing for the palme d’or . last year , two of the biggest foreign - language hits at the uk box office were sebastian schipper’s victoria and maren ade’s toni erdmann .
until the ramifications of the ban for film - makers such as farhadi became clear , germany’s toni erdmann had been the strong favourite to take the prize . the other nominees were land of mine ( denmark ) , tanna ( australia ) and a man called ove ( sweden ) .
european film : “elle” ( paul verhoeven , france , germany ) “i , daniel blake” ( ken loach , u . k . , france ) “julieta” ( pedro almodóvar , spain ) “room” ( lenny abrahamson , ireland , canada ) “toni erdmann” ( maren ade , germany , austria )
toni erdmann was agony for me , maybe more so because i’d actually been looking forward to it . but it was a chore , one that felt interminable for a time , a long time , a period of time that felt even longer than the nearly - three hour runtime .
madrid — “ toni erdmann , ” german maren ade’s breakout cannes competition hit , has snagged the 2016 intl . federation of film critics ( fipresci ) grand prix for best film of the past year , the first time the prestigious honor has gone to a film made by a woman .
a “stunningly singular” third feature , according to variety ’s guy lodge , “toni erdmann” was one of the best - reviewed cannes competition movies in the last decade . lodge called it a “unique study of an estranged but mutually depressive father and daughter” which is “a humane , hilarious triumph . ”
we’ve heard precious little about paramount’s planned english - language remake of maren ade’s beloved oscar nominee and indie spirit winner “ toni erdmann ” since the project cast jack nicholson and kristen wiig in its lead roles , but a new report from the tracking board packs a doozy of an update .
it does eventually do that , but as with every story turn in this film , the manner in which it happens is hilariously disorienting . as already mentioned , winfried has another personality he occasionally inhabits , a man named toni erdmann who serves as some parody of an eccentric tycoon , and toni begins to spend an uncomfortable amount of time in bucharest . if ines and her company represent the grinding gears of westernization in a country still defined by the collectivization of its soviet past , toni erdmann is some funhouse - mirror vision of the future ines is helping to build . he’s an uncouth , shambling character , but he’s one that always commands the attention of every room he’s in , simply because of his bizarre , assured confidence .
chosen by 475 fipresci members from three finalists — the other two were charlie kaufman’s “anomalisa” and jim jarmusch’s “paterson” — “ toni erdmann ’s” triumph reflects critical reaction at cannes where , though the movie failed to score an official prize , it did win the fipresci nod for best film in competition .
the showrunner of hbo’s girls , jenni konner , and its creator , lena dunham , may write the toni erdmann remake . the remake of the german drama is coming from adam mckay and will ferrell ‘s gary sanchez production company and paramount and is set to star jack nicholson and kristen wiig .
spc said in a statement that toni erdmann is “one of the freshest films in years ; profound , funny , powerful , ” and director ade “a force to be reckoned with , one of the world’s truly great directors . it’s great to be back in business with the match factory again . ”
sony pictures classics bought toni erdmann for north america earlier this week . on thursday , sales group the match factory unveiled a raft of deals for other territories , including the u . k . ( soda ) , italy ( cinema ) , australia ( madman ) and japan ( bitters end ) .
adam mckay , who recently directed “the big short” for the studio , will produce along with wiig , will ferrell and jessica elbaum of gloria sanchez productions . maren ade , writer and director of the original “ toni erdmann , ” will exec produce the remake along with producers jonas dornbach and janine jackowski .
on seeing the cannes premiere of maren ade’s oscar - nominated german tragicomedy toni erdmann – starring peter simonischek as the ageing , jape - addicted dad who suffers a late - life crisis and sets out to embarrass his daughter at work – i wondered aloud who would play the lead in a hollywood remake .
the fipresci grand prix will stoke speculation that “toni erdmann” will be a foreign - language oscar contender . fipresci cannes competition winner “son of saul” went on to oscar glory , snagging an academy award in the foreign - language category . fipresci’s 2015 grand prix winner “mad max : fury road” took six academy awards . “erdmann” is one of eight german films on a long - list to become germany’s 2017 oscar entry . the country’s candidate will be announced later this week .
while the pic was snubbed by the cannes jury , toni erdmann has been picking up awards ever since , winning the fipresci international critics award for film of the year , earning best film honors at the brussels international film festival and taking home the audience award at the seville european film festival , among many other laurels .
european director : paul verhoeven ( “elle , ” france , germany ) cristian mungiu ( “graduation , ” romania , france , belgium ) ken loach ( “i , daniel blake , ” u . k . , france ) pedro almodóvar ( “julieta , ” spain ) maren ade ( “toni erdmann , ” germany , austria )
toni erdmann is being rolled out in limited release . as this is written it is being shown in just three theaters in the sf bay area – in sf , berkeley and san rafael . for a list of where the movie is currently playing and / or when it will open in your area , click here .
fire at sea could have been replaced by i , daniel blake , the unknown girl , toni erdmann , hissein habré : a chadian tragedy or various other films dealing powerfully with the politics of our troubled world . things to come could have been replaced by elle ( huppert is surely the greatest actress of our age ) .
toni erdmann is another film that takes genre and drags it , kicking and screaming , somewhere else . its ‘flaws’ , or rather , foibles , are what gives it some kick . seeing that in a packed 1 , 600 - seat house at the vancouver international film festival was a highlight of the year , no question .
now , writer / director maren ade ’s melancholy toni erdmann , a 162 - minute black comedy about father - daughter estrangement , looks set to take the academy award for foreign language film . having cleaned up at the european film awards and topped sight & sound ’s prestigious best of 2016 poll of more than 150 critics and curators , toni erdmann is provoking grins and grimaces wherever it plays , balancing laugh - out - loud absurdity with excruciatingly understated tragedy . “this will not be a comedy , ” ade reportedly told her co - producer . “this will be a very long and sad film . ” in fact , it is both and more .
ines , an ambitious young woman , is trying to make a name for herself in the cutthroat world of business consulting . but when her prankster father , winfried , shows up at her work to rekindle their relationship , things fall apart quickly . stressed out from her attempts to secure the business of mr . henneberg , a ceo of a german oil company , ines shuns her father . enter winfried ' s alter ego , toni erdmann , who quickly wins the favor of mr . henneberg with his funky wig and false teeth . as mr . henneberg ' s new life coach , toni erdmann tries to fix his relationship with his estranged daughter .
while “welcome to the hartmanns” directly tackles a tough contemporary issue , “toni erdmann” is also slyly political , about the differences between those in winfried’s generation , who came of age in the ’60s and rebelled against parents from the nazi era , and those of ines’s generation , who grew up in a post - cold war capitalistic society .
friendship was a welcome tickle of the costume movie’s well - corseted ribs . rachel lang’s baden baden and maren ade’s toni erdmann – which finds an unlikely funny - bone amid the central european business world – should really be in my list too . i predict / hope that the latter at least will be championed by other contributors .
sony pictures classics acquired u . s . and latin american rights deal to the german - language toni erdmann when it played in competition last year in cannes . the bittersweet comedy stars peter simonischek and sandra huller and revolves around an older man who begins to play pranks on his adult daughter after finding her too self - serious .
paris — the german director maren ade’s breakout film , “toni erdmann , ” has won over audiences and racked up awards across europe . an uncharacterizable father - daughter story that’s also about neoliberal economic reforms in romania and the clash between the generation of 1968 and its capitalist children , the film is exceptional for another reason : it’s hilarious .
actors , directors and producers of toni erdmann with their prizes at the 2016 european film awards : ( from left ) actor hadewych minis , producer michel merkt , producer jonas dornbach , actor sandra hüller , director maren ade , actor peter simonischek , producer janine jackowski and actor trystan puetter . photograph : janek skarżyński / afp / getty images
nicholson needed no excuse there to crank up the performance . what he will do with toni erdmann is anyone’s guess ; he may play opposite wiig with all the subtlety he had opposite adam sandler in anger management . but alexander payne was strict with nicholson on about schmidt , and got one of his very best performances out of him .
now on her third film , ade has developed a precise method of refining and rehearsal by which she arrives at piercingly truthful and often unnerving intimate portraits — a process so long , in fact , that ade delivered two children during the course of making “ toni erdmann , ” one during the writing phase , and another during post .
previously : jack nicholson , the three - time oscar winner whose last movie role was in 2010 , is attached to star in the english - language remake of toni erdmann , the german pic that is nominated for the oscar best foreign language film . paramount has acquired remake rights to the film , according to our sister publication variety .
the nominations for best international independent film are all high - profile choices : maren ade’s comedy - drama toni erdmann was a palme d’or favourite ; moonlight and manchester by the sea are likely oscar contenders ; mustang was nominated for best foreign film at last year’s oscars ; and hunt for the wilderpeople has become new zealand’s highest - grossing film .
the original toni erdmann , written and directed by maren ade , was first released in europe in 2016 , and only saw a uk release last friday . it starred peter simonischek as a fake teeth - wearing prankster father , and sandra hüller as his highly - strung daughter who finds herself on the receiving end of her father’s practical jokes .
british audiences have already woken up to the new confidence of german cinema . the success of victoria and toni erdmann came despite the marketing barriers the films seem to present : an almost three - hour german comedy and a two - hour thriller shot in one - take . but they won audiences over because they are audacious , brilliant films .
the visual language of
toni erdmann
revolves to a large extent around the contrast between the buttoned - up ines ' power suits and the fearlessly awkward winfried ' s ridiculous get - ups . beyond those teeth , a wig of long , unkempt hair is another key component of the toni persona . they tried a hundred wigs , simonischek says , and pulls out his phone to offer photographic evidence . he swipes from the image of him as a rock ' n ' roll toni ( shag haircut and shades ) to one with childish bangs to a silver - coiffed version that reminds a delighted hüller of filmmaker michael haneke .
with other teeth ,
she quickly adds .
cannes — confirming its status as a palme d’or frontrunner , 2016 cannes sensation “toni erdmann” won the international critics’ prize saturday for best picture in cannes competition . plaudit was awarded by the international federation of film critics ( fipresci ) . a “stunningly singular” third feature from germany’s maren ade , per variety’s guy lodge , “maren ade” has been [ … ]
it’s because toni erdmann is legitimately unlike any comedy i had ever seen before , as hyperbolic as that may sound . describe it in passing , and it might sound like many a fuzzy hollywood affair , a tale of a prankster father and straight - laced daughter learning to reconnect ( in fact , its rumored american remake may well end up in that lane ) . but toni erdmann draws so much of its humor from refusing to cut away from a scene that might seem irrelevant or boring , or to land on an easy punchline . it’s some new , evolved form of awkward comedy that doesn’t strive to make the audience wince , but rather lives in every joyously strange , unsettling moment .
a flair for both the human and the absurd animates
toni erdmann ,
a german - language tragicomedy that is one of the most surprising and lauded films of the year . the movie joins
boyhood
and a rare handful of modern pieces in capturing the well - meaning fumble that can occur when parents and children try to connect .
but then , this year with toni erdmann , the more successful the film became , the more lonely i was . at the oscars , mine was the only fiction film nominated , in all the categories , that was directed by a woman . we won so many prizes where it was the first time ever a woman won . it’s 2017 !
madrid — “toni erdmann , ” german maren ade’s breakout cannes competition hit , has snagged the 2016 intl . federation of film critics ( fipresci ) grand prix for best film of the past year , the first time the prestigious honor has gone to a film made by a woman . the fipresci grand prix will be presented to ade at [ … ]
for hüller , working on this film provided her with the opportunity to be at home . after the whirlwind few months that followed the debut of toni erdmann in cannes , a journey that saw her win several best actress awards , including european award for best actress , she is enjoying sleeping in her own bed at the end of the day’s shoot .
a “stunningly singular” third feature from germany’s maren ade , per variety ’s guy lodge , “maren ade” has been one of the best reviewed cannes competition movies in the last decade . lodge , for example , called it a “unique study of an estranged but mutually depressive father and daughter” which is “a humane , hilarious triumph . ” last year’s fipresci competition winner , “son of saul , ” went on to oscar glory , snagging an academy award in the foreign language category . sold by the match factory , “toni erdmann” is a komplizen film production in co - production with coop99 , knm , missing link films and swr / wdr / arte . sony pictures classics has acquired “toni erdmann” for north and latin america .
although there are only three female directors in competition — arnold , nicole garcia ( “from the land of the moon” and maren ade ( “toni erdmann” ) — roughly one - fifth of the directors in the overall official selection are women . the un certain regard section features the work of five additional female helmers — and showcases a younger crop of talent overall .
“toni” also represents a change from the german films that normally appear on the international festival circuit : works by directors from the 1968 generation , including werner herzog and wim wenders .
previous festival favorites , including sundance hits manchester by the sea and nate parker’s rousing slave drama the birth of a nation , were also announced as part of the special presentations section . cannes standouts set for tiff include maren ade’s toni erdmann , paul verhoeven’s elle , asghar farhadi’s the salesman , andrea arnold’s american honey , and jim jarmusch’s adam driver - starring paterson .
jack nicholson , who hasn’t appeared in a feature film since 2010 , will star opposite kristen wiig in the english - language remake of “toni erdmann . ” sources tell variety paramount pictures has acquired remake rights to the oscar - nominated film with nicholson and wiig attached to star . paramount had no comment . adam mckay , who recently directed “the big short” [ … ]
a richly - layered dramedy centering on a fragile father - daughter relationship , “toni erdmann” is ade’s third film . her directorial debut “the forest for the trees” won the special jury prize at sundance , while her sophomore outing “everyone else” won berlin’s jury grand prize and earned birgit minichmayr the best actress award . the film represents germany in the foreign - language oscar competition .
written and directed by maren ade and starring peter simonischek and sandra hüller as a father - daughter duo whose distant relationship is clumsily shoved to more snug territory by the former , toni erdmann – which has charmed critics worldwide and swept up a generous array of awards following its debut at the cannes film festival last year – is certainly a film that takes comedy seriously .
they say germans don’t have a sense of humor . how then to explain the fact that the year’s most innovative comedy , “toni erdmann , ” hails from german writer - director maren ade ( whose name rhymes with “bar and spa day” ) ? “i was interested in making a film about family , ” ade says , “about the different roles that we play [ … ]
leaving the oscar front - runner la la land by damien chazelle and starring ryan gosling and emma stone without any prizes in this year ' s competition , the tfca on sunday tapped toni erdmann ' s maren ade as best director and the pic ' s lead sandra huller as best actress , while also naming the german comedy the best foreign - language film of the year .
graduation is yet another extraordinary parable from romania , toni erdmann , though over - praised and overlong , is still one of germany’s most original films of recent years , nocturnal animals is a stylistically excellent moral tale from tom ford and paterson shows that jim jarmusch , in lighter mood , has a refreshing charm and a dog to die for among the leading members of the cast .
not for maren ade , the abundantly talented writer and director of “toni erdmann , ” germany’s official submission for a foreign language film oscar . she fully embraces the inherent awkwardness of a testy emotional bond and tackles it to the ground , all the while mining it for heartfelt humor without the all - too - common safety net of predictability found in big - budget hollywood fare .
' toni erdmann ' could almost be one long
dad joke ,
with winfred taking any opportunity to amuse friends and students by dressing up in a wig , false teeth , and accent while sitting on a whoopee cushion . huller is excellent as ines , and while she remains stony - faced throughout her father ' s ongoing shenanigans , you sense the emotions flooding her body .
the 2016 new york film festival has filled its 25 - title main slate with buzzmagnet favorites from other stops on the festival circuit , with organizers announcing a lineup that includes “i , daniel blake , ” “toni erdmann” and “manchester by the sea . ” ken loach’s “i , daniel blake , ” about a man struggling to apply for government benefits after a heart attack , won [ … ]
almodóvar too inspired me with his haunting julieta – a contemplation of mortality and guilt as harrowing as any greek tragedy . actor raúl arévalo made of the year’s best debuts with his 70s style urban western the fury of a patient man and toni erdmann was strange and beguiling – a gloriously meandering tale of father - daughter miscommunication , embarrassment and exasperation realised across the broader canvas of corporate culture .
the original “toni erdmann , ” starring sandra huller and peter simonischek , followed a practical joking father who tries to reconnect with his hard working daughter by creating an outrageous alter ego and posing as her ceo’s life coach . the german pic is nominated for best foreign feature at the academy awards on feb . 26 and was also nominated for best foreign film at the golden globes in january .
hüller is amusingly discombobulated as the uptight ines . but the film is perhaps best appreciated as a showcase for the gifted simonischek , whose portrayal of winfried / toni is one for the ages .
the film category was particularly strong this year with four cannes competition alumni , “toni erdmann , ” ken loach’s palme d’or winning “i , daniel blake , ” paul verhoeven’s thriller “elle” and pedro almodovar’s “julieta , ” as well as lenny abrahamson’s heart - wrenching drama “room” which world premiered last year at toronto and won a golden globe , an oscar and a bafta for its lead actress brie larson .
on one level , toni erdmann can be read as scathing satire on europe , and a warning about the depersonalising results of globalisation . yet while such socioeconomic subtexts are hardly hidden , it’s in the intimate interplay between infuriating father and insular daughter that the real fireworks occur . ade’s genius is in refusing to allow either character to become a caricature , instead painting both in sympathetic shades of grey .
ade also would occasionally behave as though she were living inside the movie , as with the airport - pickup moment , in which her bold limo appearance mimics a move toni tries in the film .
two festival circuit favourites , germany’s toni erdmann ( directed by maren ade ) , and the salesman , from iranian oscar winner asghar farhadi , have made the shortlist , along with it’s only the end of the world from canadian director xavier dolan – which has drawn a decidedly mixed response compared to his previous film , mommy – and paradise , from veteran russian director andrei konchalovsky , which has received middling reviews .
ken loach ' s british social welfare drama i , daniel blake ; room from ireland ' s lenny abrahamson ; maren ade ' s german dramedy toni erdmann ; paul verhoeven ' s french - language thriller elle ; and spanish melodrama julieta from pedro almodovar have been buoyed by critical praise and accolades — even before they were nominated in the category of best european drama at this year ' s european film awards .
equally authentic is the almost ostentatiously gritty , handheld camerawork , which throws down the gauntlet in the messily framed opening shot of a front door with recycling bins outside . the film builds a case for its unpretty aesthetic , but this , together with the challenging running time , will pose a dilemma for distributors . despite this , toni erdmann will travel extensively : its audience genes are strong enough to overcome both obstacles .
this week , it was announced german language oscar nominee “ toni erdmann , ” the third directing effort from writer - director maren ade , would be remade in english with jack nicholson and kristen wiig . since indiewire recently curated a gallery suggesting the cast for this developing project , several members of the editorial team shared the following thoughts on the latest news and whether or not it bodes well for the upcoming film .
as for the proposed remake of toni erdmann that is rumoured will feature bridesmaids star kristen wiig , hüller is excited by the prospect , “i’m really curious , i’m going to watch it , definitely , ” she says . “i’m a big fan of both actors whose names are currently attached to the project , and who knows if it will happen , but it’s a different thing and i’d like to see it . ”
but dad has other ideas . unconvinced his daughter has her life as together as she claims , winfried surreptitiously stays behind . he then makes his presence felt by assuming the comic persona of
toni erdmann
— a supposed
life coach
intent on helping anyone he encounters . wearing a wig and gag false teeth , he crashes ines ' social obligations , creating numerous script opportunities for pathos , slapstick and surrealism .
ines conradi is a successful businesswoman currently stationed in bucharest but poised for promotion and transfer to singapore when this next deal goes well . winfried conradi is her father , a lonely man , socially handicapped and prone to the dumbest , most trying “pranks” on the planet . there is no such person as toni erdmann . toni erdmann is just what winfriend calls himself when he’s wearing ludicrous false teeth and an even worse wig , which is his go - to costume for “pranking . ” his pranks , by the way , consist mainly of just showing up and being this weird alternate personality . he more or less stalks his daughter and endangers her career by showing up at her office and various work functions . if he was your father , you’d either die of embarrassment , or you’d kill him . no two people should survive a relationship like this .
simonischek , for his part , would go out into the streets of bucharest dressed as toni erdmann , in part to get into character and in part to gauge how people might react to someone so cluelessly oafish ( and ok , maybe in small part to see how much he could pull their legs ) .
many people didn ' t react ,
he said .
but you could see they wanted to react .
writing toni erdmann came out of ade’s research into corporate behaviour . she became fascinated by the role of consultant , discovering that firms often hire them to advise on difficult choices , so bosses have someone to blame for unpopular decisions . at heart , toni erdmann is a powerful political film , not least as a study of how the cold intricacies of managerial language systemically alienate individuals from their instincts . ade says it is “about globalisation and capitalism and what they do with us , with our relationships” . but , she adds : “it doesn’t give one strong political statement . two days ago i was at a symposium and [ iranian director ] asghar farhadi said , ‘the time of cinema that gives answers is over – now’s the time for cinema that asks questions . ’ i was like , ‘oh shit , where’s my notebook ? i have to write that down ! ’”
growing tired of their distant relationship following yet another whirlwind visit from his go - getting daughter , winifred decides to pay a surprise visit to ines in bucharest . when his plan for enforced bonding fails , winifred changes tack – and persona – by adopting a wig and fake teeth and introducing himself as ‘toni erdmann’ to ines’ friends and colleagues… while a horrified ines looks on as her father threatens to compromise her professional and social standing .