THEMOVIES

A father absent for years from his two daughters' lives, formerly a celebrated director, Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgård), attempts to breathe new life into his fading career by drawing on the fame of his daughter Nora (Renate Reinsve), an acclaimed theater actress. Riding on Nora's renown, the struggling Gustav might finally get a film financed once again. Gustav offers Nora a leading role in his new film. But first: how do you rebuild the bond with your daughters? His younger daughter Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) proves more welcoming, while Nora still keeps a careful distance. Director Trier portrays their relationships with a light touch, at times dryly comic, yet also deeply resonant. The three family members circle around each other, carrying all their flaws, unspoken sorrows, denials and fragile charms. Gustav, Nora and Agnes convey with striking authenticity the complex emotions that exist between an absent father and the daughters shaped by his absence. The evocative voice-over about the generations who have inhabited the family home serves as a beautiful connecting thread that enriches the story's background.