Sentimental Value review: Beautifully written and acted drama
The collaborations between Joachim Trier and Renate Reinsve just keep getting better. Just like The Worst Person in the World, Sentimental Value is another superbly written and acted drama, and it’s certainly my pick for the Best International Feature Film Oscar.
Set in Oslo, this Norwegian film follows actress Nora Borg (Reinsve) and her historian sister Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) after the death of their mother Sissel. Their estranged father, director Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgard), who left the picture after his divorce, comes back into their lives as he wants to use the family home as the set for his next movie. If that wasn’t enough, he also wants Nora to play the leading role, but she turns him down without even reading the script. Unsure what to do, Gustav offers the role to American actress Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning) after they meet at a film festival.
I loved the opening narration that tells the story of the Borg family via the perspective of their house. It treats the house like a sentient being and considers how it reacted to various life changes, such as the parents’ separation. I knew immediately from that moment that Trier and Eskil Vogt‘s screenplay was for me, and it didn’t disappoint. They have created interesting, nuanced and flawed characters who feel like real, lived-in people and the dynamics between them are rich and juicy.
The central dynamic is, of course, the absent dad trying to reconnect with the daughters – Nora is much more resentful and gives him a harder time – but I cared more about the beautiful relationship between the sisters, who were there for each other after he left and their mum got sick. Agnes is more well-adjusted and seems to be getting through life just fine, whereas Nora has been emotionally damaged by her father’s absence and finds many aspects of life difficult.
For the majority of the film, the narrative moves rather slowly, gradually unpacking these characters and relationships, so I didn’t appreciate it when it jumped ahead suddenly. It’s obvious that a lot has happened in that time, but Trier simply decides to skip over it all and not show us certain conversations. I would have preferred to see them – I think they would have been cathartic – so the final act doesn’t quite work for me.
The performances are terrific all around and I expect to see all four leads receive more nominations this awards season. Reinsve has the showier role as the emotionally complex Nora, but the others are still powerful, if more subtle. Fanning obviously stands out as the only American among the Scandinavian stars. She’s radiant and delightful when Rachel’s in public persona mode but much quieter, serious and introspective at other times.
Sentimental Value is a beautifully written film with gorgeous performances across the board. I highly recommend it!
In cinemas from Friday 26th December