Sentimental Value (2025)
Sometimes the only way we can reach out is through art.
Presentation:
From the Norwegian director of The Worst Person in the World comes a film about a man using filmmaking to reconcile with his family. This is tonally so similar that you could even believe this to be a sequel as it has familiar actors, setting and style. What really intrigued me was the prevalent use of cutting to black, which somehow feels very contemporary and made me wonder why it isn’t done more often. There’s a somewhat independent filmmaking approach like all his other films but with a distinctly Scandinavian tone. I would define it as a subtle reservation in contrast to the American played by Fanning with many things unsaid or even opposite from what is explicitly stated. This means you’ll have to read in between the lines, which allows you to appreciate the subtle satire and meta filmmaking going on underneath. The casting is so fantastic that I actually forgot Skarsgard wasn’t the director of this film as if he was really making this film as a message to his 8 children.
Conclusion:
Although this film is slower and less visually interesting than The Worst Person in the World, save for a cute reference to Persona, it hits harder because it develops the perspective of the characters in a unique way. It encroaches on you and I’m not sure if it’s the script, performances or lensing but by the end of the film you feel part of the family. I think there’s less being said overall, but sometimes it’s better this way to leave room for you to insert yourself into the story. Refreshing, but perhaps too subtle to be gratifying for mass audiences, or maybe Trier just speaks to female audiences more effectively.
Recommendations
Christmas nostalgia for even the coldest Grinches.