Sentimental Value Review

The characters in Sentimental Value are fictional. The writing is so honest and the casting is so spot-on, though, that it feels like we’re watching an autobiographical film. In a way, we are. Stellan Skarsgård plays Gustav Borg, a revered director who hasn’t made a film in fifteen years. The last time he was behind a camera, Netflix was still primarily seen as a mail-based rental enterprise. Now, it’s where legendary filmmakers like Gustav go to get their passion projects financed. Gustav still feels he has another film in him, but he only has one leading lady in mind: his daughter Nora, played by Renate Reinsve.

Director Joachim Trier and Reinsve tapped into something truly special with The Worst Person in the World. Their follow-up collaboration is even better, with Reinsve proving so authentic as Nora that we forget we’re watching a performance. Despite wanting to distance herself from her father, Nora still chose a career in the arts, preferring the stage over film. Even then, Nora nearly runs out on a performance as the curtain goes up. This isn’t merely stage fright. It’s a woman torn about going down the same route as her father, one where art is prioritized over family. Once Nora collects herself and steps onto the stage, though, there’s no denying it’s where she belongs.

In that sense, Gustav and Nora are more similar than the latter would admit. Nevertheless, Nora turns down her father’s offer to star in his film, not even bothering to read the script. Stuck in the middle is Gustav’s other daughter Agnes, played by Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas in a wonderful supporting turn. Despite demonstrating a knack for acting at a young age, Agnes chose a more traditional family life. Agnes is open to reconnecting with her estranged father, although Nora remains fixated on the sins of the past. So does Gustav, who can’t let go of the house where his mother took her own.

With Nora out, Gustav strikes up a friendship with a young actress named Rachel Kemp, played by Elle Fanning, who has been on a roll with her past few projects. Like Fanning, Rachel is primarily recognized for her work in popcorn movies, but she’s eager to work with an auteur like Gustav. Although the two hit it off, even Rachel can sense that she wasn’t meant to play the film’s lead. Gustav knows this deep down, as he continues to compromise his vision to accommodate a changing cinematic landscape. It’s a new world where little kids don’t recognize DVDs, TikTokers are invited to press junkets where they purposely ask triggering questions, and studios have more control than ever.

Even if Gustav gets his movie made, he can’t go back to the good old days when he first fell in love with cinema. He can’t undo the mistakes that have haunted his family for generations, either. He can try to find a way to move forward, however. In the end, Sentimental Value isn’t about a fading filmmaker trying to restore his relevance. It’s about a man attempting to connect with his daughters the only way he knows how: through his art. Gustav may never be the father that Nora wanted him to be. To him, though, she’s irreplaceable as a daughter. All he asks is that she play the part by being herself.