Daddy Issues
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MOVIE REVIEW
Sentimental Value (2025)
Joachim Trier’s Cannes competition title “Sentimental Value” often feels like an attempt to recapture the success of his Oscar-nominated 2021 film, “The Worst Person in the World.” Not only do we have Renate Reinsve in the lead again, he also frames her with a medium shot right in the center of the screen all the damn time. This is so pronounced that one might actually overlook some of his progression in terms of visual composition.
The plot this time involves The Worst Daughter in the World and The Worst Dad in the World. Nora Borg (Ms. Reinsve) is an actress who has enjoyed success in television and also dabbles as Nina in a theatrical production of Chekhov’s “The Seagull,” where she’s experiencing a bout of crippling stage fright on opening night like some runaway bride with wedding jitters – to the point of ripping her costume open – and has to be coaxed into finally taking the stage way past curtain time.
At their mother’s wake, her sister, Agnes Borg Pettersen (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) promptly tips her off that their estranged father, Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgård), has shown up. He wishes to have “a proper talk,” but Nora avoids him. Gustav is an accomplished filmmaker recently celebrated in France with a retrospective, and he announces he’s ready to emerge from a 15-year sabbatical. He has written a new screenplay specifically with Nora in mind, but she wants no part of it.
At the retro, he’s gained a fan in American “It” actress Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning), who’s eager to collaborate with the maestro. It soon gets super awks when Rachel gets the “Worst Person in the World” hairdo and starts hanging at the Borg residence to prep for the new project.
Though “Sentimental Value” doesn’t center on a romantic relationship as its predecessor did, it nevertheless rehashes some of the same dynamics and feelings of guilt and regret. “The Worst Person in the World” turned out to be a lot more serious than its beginning suggested, whereas “Sentimental Value” doesn’t have any false pretentions of whimsy despite also having a narrator.
The end results are similar. You don’t really get the kind of teary epiphany or catharsis that we’ve come to expect from films of this type. The payoff is very understated, almost like TV – which is not necessarily a bad thing. The only interesting directorial touches are the abrupt black screens that, for effect, often cut off the soundtrack in the most inopportune manner, catching the audience off guard.
A perhaps stereotypical feature of Scandinavian cinema is the clear and crisp cinematography, and Mr. Trier’s works certainly reinforce this notion. But this time there are some truly spectacular scenes, such as one in which Gustav, Rachel and her handlers decide to spend the night on a beach impromptu. I can’t recall another moment from Mr. Trier’s and cinematographer Kasper Tuxen’s filmographies to rival the stunning pink skies captured here.
The lead performances don’t really stand out. Ms. Reinsve more or less reprises her messy act from “The Worst Person in the World” and “A Different Man.” Mr. Skarsgård is also exactly as you’d expect as the Nordic dad. Ms. Fanning is the one who’s really stretching, as Rachel contemplates whether she should adopt a Norwegian accent for Gustav’s project. The rigor with which Rachel approaches the role makes her more complex and interesting – a serious actress and not some tart to be dismissed.
In the end, Gustav remains terribly obtuse, gifting Agnes’s young son, Erik (Øyvind Hesjedal Loven), DVDs of Gaspar Noé’s “Irreversible” and Michael Haneke’s “The Piano Teacher” on his birthday. But much like Ang Lee’s “Father Knows Best” trilogy, “Sentimental Value” does provide a corrective narrative on the often unfairly maligned fathers seen on film.
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