As a general rule, I dislike movies where a troubled filmmaker tries to sort out their myriad of issues by making that one movie that will fix everything. It’s cliche and tired and just sort of been done ad nauseum, right? Well, Joachim Trier has made me appreciate them again with his deeply moving, emotionally-layered family drama Sentimental Value, a film that has convinced me that Trier and his The Worst Person in the World breakout Renate Reinsve should be inseparable going forward.
Sentimental Value explores seemingly well-worn ground but finds new perspectives, fresh angles in which to present them. For one, Stellan Skarsgard’s aging filmmaker Gustav Borg, who is facing the possible end of his storied career, and he’s got one last movie in mind. For better or worse, that would mean a reunion with his estranged daughter Nora, played by Reinsve, who takes the idea of the neurotic actress to a whole new level. She’s so volatile she nearly blows up every play she’s in, quite literally needing a good slap in the face just to take the stage. And then there’s her younger sister, Agnes, played by the movie’s extraordinary secret weapon, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, who navigates the middle ground. Agnes understands the sisterly bond and the unspoken loyalty between siblings, but she also understands the idea of second chances.
Everyone in this movie is a character, and by that I mean they are all wildly histrionic and unpredictable in ways that keep you on your toes. Even the childhood home the girls grew up in, and that Gustav left when he divorced their mom, is a character unto itself. The blazing red two-story mansion has its cracks and its creaks, but it is a place so full of life that it practically gets an entire chapter where it’s spoken about as a living entity.
Gustav’s motives for returning, seemingly to mourn the death of the girls’ mother and his ex-wife, also feels manipulative. He has written this screenplay that he belives only Nora can play, but she’s not ready to forgive his abandonment. There’s also the matter of the beautiful American actress, Rachel Kemp, who adores Gustav’s work and is cast in the role meant for Nora. Whether he does that to make Nora jealous or not is one of the many knotty conflicts that keep Sentimental Value captivating. And ultimately, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is how his decision impacts Nora, who sees it as a betrayal that’s just as hard to forgive. Gustav’s manipulations continue as he gently nudges Rachel to look and act more like Nora. He also turns his attention towards Agnes’ son, who he wants to turn into a child actor the way he did his mother when she was younger.
All of this makes Gustav seem like a horrible person, but one of the beauties of Trier and Eskil Vogt’s screenplay is how he and Nora are motivate by resentment, anger, and loneliness. Gustav is actually quite charming and sweet, albeit with a withering sense of humor. He and Nora are too much alike, if anything. When he presents his young grandson with VERY mature-rated DVDs (what’s a DVD???) of Irreversible and The Piano Teacher it’s Nora who laughs hardest right along with him.
But lest one think Sentimental Value is strictly a father/daughter story, it’s actually just as much about Nora’s relationship with Agnes. While Nora has spiraled since their father left, Agnes overcame it to start her own family. But at various stages one has been called on to take care of the other, and that forges a connection that is quite beautiful and unbreakable.
Trier also finds time to poke fun at himself a little bit. The Norwegian filmmaker’s one misstep was his 2015 English language debut, Louder than Bombs, and Gustav dabbles with the idea of making his movie in English even though it clearly isn’t the right fit. There are also some fun gags involving veteran directors and the sudden prevalence of streaming giants like Neflix, who exert more control than they are prepared to give. One of the major sticking points of Sentimental Value is that life is messy, a bit cracked, and out of our control, so it’s best to do things your own way and with the people you love most so you can handle the chaos together.
NEON will release Sentimental Value in theaters on November 7th.
