Geoffrey Rush portrays "Oldman," an auctioneer who leads a highly structured existence, often using gloves from his large collection to keep himself separate. As his career winds down, he’s hired by the mysterious “Miss Ibbetson” (Sylvia Hicks) to assess a sizable collection at her home. She avoids face-to-face meetings, prompting him to consider backing out, but his curiosity about some old metal pieces and the potential value of the collection itself keeps him engaged, with the expectation that he can build rapport. Regarding those metal parts, he consults with his friend "Robert" (Jim Sturgess), and they come to believe it might be from an early automaton—and quite valuable! The narrative unfolds as both characters encounter difficulties in their isolated lives, and a strange kind of connection develops that could bring them happiness. Then comes the plot’s unexpected turn – a significant one at that. It seems designed to showcase Rush's talents, with occasional support from Sturgess and Donald Sutherland, who plays his somewhat questionable friend "Billy." He performs admirably, and the depiction of his tightly controlled persona gradually changing into what we see later is exceptionally done. Giuseppe Tornatore creates suspense in a subtle way, culminating in an ending that left me feeling slightly melancholy.

Source on TMDB