Back home from seeing Sentimental Value in theaters, as part of a Q&A event. My head is still buzzing from the experience, so I won’t write anything detailed, but I loved this film. I was drawn in right from the start, where the family home is imagined as a character; being a witness to to all the happy and sad moments that transpired within its walls.
The performances were strong across the board, but Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgård were incredible here. Reinsve has such an expressive face, even without speaking, she says so much about her strained relationship with her father, and just where her life is now, wth her eyes, and body language. I loved her in The Worst Person in the World (2021), and I’d say she’s even better in this film. I also had to remind myself that Skarsgård is an actor playing a director here. He looks and acts the part of a filmmaker so damn well.
The only other Trier film I’ve seen is The Worst Person in the World, and like that film, there’s a certain intimacy, and closeness to the characters that you feel with Sentimental Value. At times, it almost feels like you’re watching a home video of family moments. A lot of it can be really bittersweet, and somber, but there are are few bright spots too, and one or two scenes that are hilarious (the birthday gift scene especially).
I would say I enjoyed the first half a little more than the second. I think there are some pacing issues in the latter half, where everything feels slowed down. The story is also not as tight in these parts, branching off in more directions, as it tries to give you a broader multi-generational picture of the family, and the house at the center of the story. It all more or less comes together by the end, though it still leaves some ambiguity to the story, leaving it to the audience to imagine what happens next for these characters. That might frustrate some viewers, but I personally liked that. Like in real life, stories, and relationships are rarely ever neatly wrapped up.
4/5
So, NEON have set up quite a bit of Q&A events for this movie this past week in NYC. I attended the 4th event at AMC Lincoln over the past 2 days. I was expecting just the director, Joachim Trier, to be there, so imagine my surprise when they introduce Elle Fanning, and then Stellan Skarsgård, then Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, and Renate Reinsve.
Each of them was asked a question, and all gave good responses. I recorded the responses from Trier and Fanning below (possible minor spoilers discussed). Also forgive the quality, as my phone is really showing its age. I can’t really remember all the specific questions and answers from everyone, so I’ll do my best to paraphrase what I can recall.
Reinsve discussed how she didn’t really know Trier when she first worked with him on The Worst Person in the World, but their relationship grew after, and how that bond really helped when making SentimentalValue, and allowed it to be more collaborative. Her character Nora, was actually written specifically for her. She also said she’s terrible at auditions, and usually fails most of them.
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, who was really great as the sister in this film, talked about how she took on the role of being the character that sort of keeps everything together, and keeping the film grounded. I honestly felt comforted several times by her presence on screen. It’s the kind of role that could easily be overshadowed by the standout performances from Reinsve, and Skarsgård, but is vital for making the film as a whole work.
Trier at one point discussed the beautiful home used in the film. He said they scouted out different homes for 6 months, but he realize the perfect one was one that he lived just a few blocks away from as a child. He said he used it for the ending of Oslo, August 31st (2011) too. He joked about if anyone ever wants to buy the house, to come to him, as he photographed every inch of it, and knows it so well.
It was an enjoyable Q&A, especially considering the limited time each person got to speak. Trier, as you’d expect, gave really thoughtful answers. They all seem to get along quite well too, and I believe one of them jokingly said they sort of mirror the family dynamics in the film. I actually felt a little surreal watching them do the Q&A as the film itself has a Q&A too.
