Art, family and generational experiences spectacularly collide in this multilingual picture.
“Sentimental Value” centers on a pair of sisters, Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), who are navigating life after the death of their mother. During this time, they’re approached by their estranged father, Gustav (Stellan Skarsgard), a celebrated director who left the family when the two women were kids.
Gustav is looking to make a new film after a hiatus in his career, and also wants to reconnect with his daughters. In particular, he wants Nora, a stage actress, to star in his new project. However, after she turns him down, he hires a film actress, Rachel (Elle Fanning), to take the lead role.
Old wounds made from emotional hurt can run deep and sting well after scars form and fade. Such wounds are explored in moving, emotional ways in “Sentimental Value.” Directed by Joachim Trier, who co-wrote with Eskil Vogt, the movie is raw and mature in its approach to portraying family issues.
There’s a vulnerable realness to how the movie approaches the relationships between Gustav and his two daughters. This is also true with Gustav collaborating with Rachel, as it’s clear he’s trying to work through his own history, both with his own childhood and his struggles as a father.
It’s an interesting dynamic making for engrossing drama, and it’s impressive how Trier managed to intertwine so many relationships and personal journeys. A viewer can truly appreciate how each character is processing pain from the past, trying to navigate the present and communicate with one another for the future.
All of that isn’t easy to do for these characters, either. That’s especially true with the communication part. Many scenes where characters interact are tense, with resentment, regret and resolve at play. This is compounded by Gustav being an artist.
As a filmmaker, Gustav’s projects are profoundly personal, meaning the picture at the movie’s center is heavily tied to everyone on screen, and even the house the film is mostly set in. It adds more insight into all of the characters, enriching the film for the viewer.
What’s especially strong about the flick is how it treats both of the daughters. With Nora being an actress and Gustav being a director, it could have been easy to only focus on that relationship and sideline Agnes. Fortunately, that’s not the case. Both sisters are given plenty of screentime and are fully realized.
It strengthens the film, as they both have their own unique views about their father and the place he now has in their lives. It’s also great seeing a good sibling relationship on screen. Siblings are more often than not the adults in your life who know you best, and they’re a person one can confide in about grief and familial matters. That’s the case here with Nora and Agnes, and the film is stronger for it.
Reinsve, who starred in 2021’s “Worst Person in the World” and 2024’s “A Different Man,” shines in her role as the character under maybe the most pressure. The way she portrays her character’s bitterness and conflicted feelings toward reconciliation are convincing.
Lilleaas is likewise good as Agnes, whose character seems to be more open to rebuilding bridges, but has her own reservations. Fanning also deserves plenty of credit for her performance of Rachel, who’s somewhat caught in the middle of the situation. Fanning lends the character a grace and respectfulness that captures how much she’s tip-toeing in the acting job she landed.
An audience can also give credit to the way Trier and Vogt never turned Gustav into a villain or an overly dramatic bad father. He is simply a very flawed individual who’s also gifted as a filmmaker, and he’s now trying to find a balance between his passion and his personal life. Scarsgard deserves praise for getting that across with his work, and it’s notably impressive how he does this both in English and Norwegian.
At two hours and 15 minutes, “Sentimental Value” does start to run on just a tad long, and with that runtime, one wishes the film’s conclusion was fleshed out some more. Yet this flick overall is a well-made, fine-tuned family drama with a plethora to appreciate. 4.7 out of 5.
Matthew Liedke on Film 