Sentimental Value is the latest film by Joachim Trier, best known for the critically acclaimed The Worst Person in the World. Renate Reinsve returns to collaborate with Trier for the third time, and it also stars Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, and Elle Fanning. The film has won the Grand Prix at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and has been submitted to the 98th Academy Awards as Norway's entry for the Best International Feature Film category. Reinsve plays a stage actress named Nora Borg, who reunites with her estranged father, the once-renowned film director Gustav Borg (Skarsgård). He is developing his comeback feature and offers his daughter a role, but she refuses to be a part of it. He instead casts Rachel Kemp, a young, popular Hollywood actress (Fanning), and now Nora and her sister Agnes (Lilleaas) must navigate and deal with the complexities behind their current family relationship with their father.
Stellar performances. Obviously, you have to give high praise to the cast. Reinsve, Skarsgård, Lilleaas, and Fanning are all fantastic, and the family dynamics depicted in Sentimental Value feel honest and sincere. You can tell they’re excited to work on a Joachim Trier film because it challenges their acting abilities. Lilleaas deserves a bright career because she stands out. She wants her sister and father to get back together, which is a really beautiful thing to see. Even when the film goes from one character to another, the narrative structure maintains its focus. Fanning doesn’t get as much screen time as the rest of the main cast, which is kind of a bummer. That being said, whenever she shares the spotlight with the other actors, it’s absolutely magnificent.
Not your ordinary family story. Most of the film takes place inside a family home, but Trier yet again successfully combines humanistic character development and his signature formal approach. It sounds like a simple premise at first, but it’s actually a lot more than that. Trier makes sure that his screenplay, co-written with Eskil Vogt, is an empathetic and fascinating dive into estranged family dynamics and complexities. The themes of artistic temperament and creative atonement are also brilliantly explored through the emotional depth of the Borg family. The way Trier combines humor and tragedy is top-notch, which makes you realize that the script would have been mishandled in the hands of the wrong director. It truly is one of the most devastating and earnest movies you’ll ever see.
Sentimental Value is an incredible and heartfelt look into broken family bonds. After seeing the film, you'll have your own interpretation of the overall story. Trier most certainly deserves his big win at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and to be recognized as an immensely talented storyteller who knows how to make films that connect with his audience on a deep and personal level.
