Key Points

• Sentimental Value is a Norwegian-English drama film directed by Joachim Trier.
• The film explores fraught relationships of a dysfunctional family.
• Sentimental Value has received 9 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director for Trier, Best Actress for Renate Reinsve, and Best Supporting Actor for Stellan Skarsgard.

'Are you sure doing this in English would work?'

An American actress named Rachel, portrayed by the luminous Elle Fanning, asks her Norwegian director Gustav, played by Stellan Skarsgard.

She is starring in Gustav's latest film, set in his native Norway. Struggling with the language barrier, Rachel finds it difficult to fully grasp the emotional nuances of her character. Gustav translates her lines in an effort to guide her, but she is dissatisfied.

What Sentimental Value is about

Sentimental Value, directed by Joachim Trier, is a film about filmmaking. But the emotional core lies in the familial drama that unfolds when Skarsgard's Gustav visits his hometown and reconnects with his daughters, Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas).

He is working on a semi-autobiographical script that is inspired by his late mother. Gustav asks his daughter Nora, a theatre actor, to act in his new film, but she refuses. While Agnes is relatively open to reconnecting with her father, Nora remains distant, as she has not fully accepted her father's absence after their mother's death.

The film opens with a visible crack on a wall, a clear symbol of the strained relationship between Gustav and his daughters. The image is straightforward, but it sets the tone.

Gustav's career is no longer as strong as it once was, and the film with Rachel is his best chance at a comeback. Her earlier remark about English also hints at a subtle emotional theme in the film about how people can struggle to truly understand each other despite their best efforts.

Joachim Trier's assured direction

Sentimental Value balances several ideas at once.

It is about a father trying to repair a damaged relationship. It is also about two sisters who respond differently to the same parent.

Next, it looks at the creative partnership between an actor and a director.

Then there are themes of dysfunctional family, unresolved trauma, lingering resentment, and fraught relationships.

For a subject matter as grim as this, it's refreshing that Sentimental Value avoids becoming a manipulative, melodramatic tearjerker.

Director Trier takes a measured approach to the familial tension without compromising on emotional honesty that lies underneath. There are no dramatic confrontations or loud arguments. The conflicts play out in ordinary conversations, where characters speak carefully, but sometimes avoiding what they really mean.

The dynamic between Gustav and Nora is the film's most compelling aspect. Their exchanges feel natural, shaped by years of distance between them.

In one notable moment, Nora refuses to even look at her father’s script. He is upset, but tries not to show it. It is a simple moment that beautifully captures the unresolved resentment between them.

This strained dynamic reminded me of the father-son relationship between Naseeruddin Shah and Farhan Akhtar's in Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, where an awkward reunion exposes old, unresolved wounds.

Renate Reinsve's striking performance

Stellan Skarsgard presents Gustav as a man who is proud, slightly self-absorbed, and not fully aware of the impact he has had on his daughters. At times, it is difficult to fully connect with him, which may be intentional.

Elle Fanning delivers a surprisingly mature performance.

The standout here is Renate Reinsve, who gives the most striking performance as Nora. She does not rely on big emotional scenes; it's her quiet expressions that effectively show Nora's frustration and heartbreaks.

I missed seeing her in Joachim Trier's earlier film The Worst Person in the World, but her performance here confirms she is an actor to watch out for.

Sentimental Value streams on Mubi.

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