Sisters “Nora” (Renate Reinsve) and “Agnes” (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) are the daughters of acclaimed film director “Gustav” (Stellan Skarsgård). The former, a theatrical actor, is a bit of a loner. The latter is a little more balanced, married to “Even” (Andreas Stoltenberg Granerud) and has a son “Erik” (Øyvind Hesjedal Loven). Both have a strained relationship with their father. His past successes suggests that he was rarely there, in any qualitative sense, when they were growing up nor when tragedy impacted on the family in later years. He is currently benefitting from a bit of a revival of interest in one of his early works - a film that featured “Agnes” and he has attracted the attentions of global superstar “Rachel” (Elle Fanning). Now feeling a little revitalised, he presents a script to “Nora” that he hopes she will agree to do. She is polite but clearly wants as little to do with him as she can get away with, and so when she declines he offers it to the enthusiastic “Rachel”. Fanning serves quite well for much of the rest of the film as a conduit for exposing not just the content of a script that sails close to home, but that also addresses head-on some of the issues that the siblings have with their dad and that he understands - albeit, perhaps, belatedly. Things come to more of an head with “Agnes” when he decides that the affable young “Erik” could have a role in the film too, and now a more complete family perspective begins to emerge. I wasn’t bowled over by the story, to be honest. I’ve seen plenty of films that depict dysfunctional family’s where the kids resent their successful if often absent parents. This, though, is a much more solid and characterful study that introduces elements of joy, sadness, bitterness and potential reconciliation to a story that develops gradually for a couple of hours of intimately photographed and scripted cinema. It’s asks many a recognisable question about the aspirations of parents for children, jealousies and ambitions in a manner that is far easier for us to associate with than you might expect, and being a Nordic story there is of course suicide amongst it’s topics too. Don’t expect it to race along with entertaining histrionics and tantrums, it’s all a very measured and considered affair that proves compelling to watch as the three leads play convincingly together, and the young Loven steals his scenes.