Sentimental Value (2025) (Norwegian & English Language)- BFI London Film Festival 2025

Review

133min

Genre:       Drama

Director:    Joachim Trier

Cast:         Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Elle Fanning…and more

Writers:     Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt

-Synopsis-

A Norwegian actress’ attempt to repair a difficult relationship with her larger-than-life estranged director father becomes further convoluted when she turns down a part in what he hopes will be a comeback film, and he opts instead for a young Hollywood star, further complicating a past defined by emotional detachment and estrangement and forcing them to confront a legacy of trauma in the house which harboured generations of their family’s difficult history.

After a forging promising film career at the start of the 21st century by crafting nuanced Norwegian character dramas, then making a major mark on the industry and capturing the imagination of film festivals, audiences and award shows alike with his 2021 beloved breakout picture ‘The Worst Person in the World’, Danish-Norwegian writer/director Joachim Trier reunites with that film’s star Renate Reinsve and returns to deliver his latest frank and melancholy meditation on love and loss, relationships and identity . . . with resounding success.

Renate Reinsve stars as single thirtysomething Norwegian stage actress “Nora Borg”, struggling with her mental health and the weight of childhood anguish triggered by the recent death of her mother, whilst in a complicated relationship with her castmate “Jakob” (Anders Danielsen Lie), comforted by her close relationship with her concerned younger sister “Agnes” (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) and her own young family. But life for the Borgs becomes more tense and complex when estranged patriarch and fading veteran film director “Gustav” (Stellan Skarsgård) comes back into the picture and returns to the family home—where generations of memories and trauma have unfolded—with an idea for a new film and looking to re-ignite his career. But when his hopes for a star within the family are dashed by a resentful Nora, he turns to the talents of eager young Hollywood starlet “Rachel Kemp” (Elle Fanning) as an unlikely choice to fill the void, as his artistic ambitions clash with his awkward attempts to reconcile with his adult daughters, while the family are forced to face and unpack a legacy of ancestral trauma.

For anyone familiar Trier’s with filmography and in particular his previous and breakthrough Norwegian human drama ‘The Worst Person in the World’, it’s clear that the writer/director and his regular collaborative co-writer Eskil Vogt have a real knack for painting nuanced portraits of modern Western life and frank personal drama dissections of the human condition, which are always honest and free from excessive melodrama yet moving and mournful in equal measure.

With ‘Sentimental Value’ the Scandinavian screenwriting duo dig deep into depression, dysfunctional family dynamics and emotional detachment as a defence mechanism, plus a complex father-daughter tale and a wistful story of sisterly love, all whilst also crafting a chronicle of a house with a generational heritage of trauma, sadness, and abandonment which defines the family who’ve made it a home across eras—even featuring a historical element through a personal perspective on the traumatic legacy of the Nazi occupation of Norway­­­—as Trier strikes an effective balance between all the film’s themes which makes it all the more lyrical and emotionally resonant.

Indeed the depth and effectiveness of the drama here is enhanced by the undeniably contemplative atmosphere and melancholy mood of the film, expertly set by a soft and tender piano-led score from Polish pianist/composer Hania Rani who beautifully blends classical and jazz to moving effect. And it’s cleverly juxtaposed with the lighter tones of an energising soundtrack of lesser-known soul, pop and rock tunes from a bygone era which reflects the more comedic side of ‘Sentimental Value’, as Trier injects a healthy amount of socially perceptive and showbiz savvy self-reflective humour, plus no small measure of warmth and heart.

‘Sentimental Value’ is also something of an ode to cinema from Joachim Trier and his tribute to the craft of acting, plus a reflective meditation on the healing and redemptive power of creativity and art­­­, not to mention in part a film about filmmaking and its makers, which certainly won’t hurt its chances come the start of the award season express.

At its heart though ‘Sentimental Value’ is every inch the measured character drama and it often feels like an ensemble stage play­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­—which is fitting given that theatre and performance are a part of the narrative—and as such Trier relies on the talents of his troupe of talented actors, who all deliver beautifully nuanced and balanced performances all around. The likes of Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas manage to shine as the concerned and conflicted family woman younger sister and proves the emotive loving heart of the piece, while Elle Fanning is solid as the eager young American star thrown into a complex family drama, meanwhile perhaps unsurprisingly Swedish screen legend Stellan Skarsgård is the charismatic core of the film as the selfish and flawed yet endearing and well-meaning absentee patriarch, and the dramatic catalyst for the story.

Ultimately though Renate Reinsve is the star of the show and Trier’s new muse is once again a standout of the piece, as she frustrates and captivates the audience whilst eliciting no small amount of empathy with a very flawed and relatable modern woman, as she delivers yet another honest, powerful yet restrained performance to bring to life another stoic Scandinavian battling with all that bubbles under the surface—depression, deep sadness, self-doubt, guilt, resentment, and even suicidal thoughts—and occasionally letting it out.

The result of all their efforts is a graceful and stirring human drama, a very human and hopeful contemporary character piece about real people with flaws and questionable decision-making skills, but all rooted in a deep sense of understanding, healing and reconciliation, as Trier triumphantly mines and cinematically reflects the human condition in a way that most of modern Hollywood could only dream of.

The Bottom Line…

A frank, poignant and powerful Norwegian dysfunctional family drama portrait of abandonment, reconciliation, and home, and an ode to the healing power of art, ‘Sentimental Value’ triumphs as Joachim Trier’s latest frank and charming, melancholy and moving exploration of modern life which sits comfortably within the rich legacy of Scandinavian cinema, underlining his growing reputation as one of the more compelling voices in European film today.

‘Sentimental Value’ is out now in the US and on the 26th of December in UK cinemas.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

The Worst Person in the World (2021)

A four year chronicle in the life of a woman in an existential crisis after she turns thirty, struggling with commitment and dwelling on squandered potential while forging a new relationship path, which may just highlight what is already gone for good.

Directed by Joachim Trier and starring Renate Reinsve, Anders Danielsen Lie and Maria Grazia Di Meo among others.

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