February 23, 2017 · 2 min read

‘The Red Turtle’ opens, ‘Toni Erdmann’ held over at the Ross

"The Red Turtle" trailer

The Academy Award-nominated “The Red Turtle” opens Feb. 24 at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center. Also showing is the Oscar-winning film “Toni Erdmann.”

Japanese animation powerhouse Studio Ghibli explores a new creative direction in “The Red Turtle,” creating a realistically-drawn feature with Dutch animator Michaël Dudok de Wit. Told without dialogue, the story follows the travails of a shipwrecked man who establishes a family and a new life on an island inhabited only by majestic animal life

“The Red Turtle” is rated PG and plays through March 9. The film is vying for Best Animated Feature in this year’s Academy Awards.

"The Red Turtle"

In contention for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, Maren Ade’s “Toni Erdmann” pairs dynamic characters in a tenderly funny character study that is moving and ambitious.

Winfried, a suddenly student-less music teacher, doesn’t see much of his working daughter Ines. He decides to surprise her with a visit after the death of his old dog. Because Ines, a serious career woman, is working on an important project as a corporate strategist in Bucharest, Winfried’s visit creates tension.

Winfried loves to annoy his daughter with corny pranks. However, his little jabs at her routine lifestyle of long meetings, hotel bars and performance reports are worse. They reach an impasse, so Winfried agrees to return home to Germany.

Instead of going home, Winfried dons a tacky suit, bizarre wig and fake teeth to become Toni Erdmann. As Erdmann, Winfried barges into Ines’ professional life, claiming to be her chief executive officer’s life coach.

As Toni, Winfried is bolder and does not hold back, but Ines is up to the challenge. The harder the two push each other, the closer they become. And, in all their combined madness, Ines begins to understand that her eccentric father might deserve some place in her life.