Norwegian cinema is officially back! Ingmar Bergman split himself into two sons. We’ve got the outdoorsy one Roar Uthaug crafting Trolls up in the Norwegian mountains. And we’ve also got the city boy, Joachim Trier. Trier loves dad’s work but wants his own voice. Well after finding The Worst Person in the World, and now delivering Sentimental Value, Norway has resurrected the makings of that great film history that laid dormant for years. Can’t wait for the Renate Reinsve/Troll 3 crossover in 2027!
Sentimental Value starts inside a gorgeous house…that has a slow small break in the foundation (nice metaphor Joachim). Today is a sad day here; Sissel Borg (Ida Marianne Vassbotn Klasson) has passed away. Sisters Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) are hosting friends and relatives post funeral. Unexpectedly, their dad Gustav (Stellan Skarsgard), usually out on a movie shoot, shows up. Turns out, it’s not just for the funeral. Gustav has landed on his new project. He might use star US actress Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning), but really he wants Nora, currently a stage/TV actor, to be his lead actress, which Nora, um, isn’t exactly thrilled at the prospects of.
At this point, Joachim Trier and Renate Reinsve are must see moviemaking. They tap into that same talent pool they unleased in Worst Person. Reinsve makes Nora a slightly more grown up version of the person she played in that last film. Nora’s childhood left a lasting scar on her, one which she hasn’t figured out how to recover from yet. She unleashes all her pent up frustration she has on Gustav, because she’s afraid of looking inward, and really dealing with her struggles, instead choosing to run away, drink, or chase unavailable men. Reinsve makes all these problems feel achingly, beautifully human, casting herself into the “best actor of her generation” ring officially.
This time though, Joachim Trier gives Reinsve more backup. Stellan Skarsgard gives maybe the performance of his career here. He’s been fantastic before, but Trier unlocks a beautiful sad longing in the man who has realized how much time he has lost not being around his daughters. Skarsgard and Elle Fanning do a great job with their little father/daughter through the movie filter subplot, as both, in their search for the truth, find answers, just not the ones they hoped they’d find. But all these broken people usually need help finding the light again. And that light in Trier’s movie is Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas. Younger sister Agnes through sheer emotional force of will, keeps her family from careening into the darkness, showing an emotional understanding Gustav and Nora have yet to figure out. Yes Sentimental Value is about Nora and Gustav, but Agnes is the real hero of the movie, thanks to Lilleaas’s tender, loving performance.
After I wiped away the tears, all that was left was satisfaction. Satisfaction knowing I was watching some of the best actors at the top of their game directed by a man who has officially arrived as one of the great directors of our time. And, more importantly, telling a real story about the human experience, and what it means to be a part of a family. I can’t wait to see what everyone here does next; I’ll be there, heart wide open.