Marin Ade triumphs with estrangement epic

A beguiling sense of sadness and loss that undercuts even the most outrageous moments

Sandra Hüller and Peter Simonischek in Maren Ade’s bittersweet comedy Toni Erdmann

Cinema

Toni Erdmann: Directed by Maren Ade, Selected, 16,Rating:*****

Loving: Directed by Jeff Nichols, Nationwide, 12A,Rating:****

Now and again, a film comes out of nowhere and knocks you off your feet. German writer and director Maren Ade’s long, acid family comedy Toni Erdmann is one of those films; a hysterical, improbably heart-wrenching story of a lonely middle-aged father, his workaholic daughter and a bond strained to the point of inelasticity.

German cinema isn’t ...