Movie Review: Sentimental Value

 Movie Number 3 of 2026

The Movie: Sentimental Value

The Cinema: Palace Cinemas, Kino Cinema

Runtime: Two Hours 12 Minutes

Language: Norwegian / English

Stars: 4

Sentimental Value is the current darling of the arthouse movie scene. If you like arthouse movies, there's a chance you'll love it. If you prefer blockbusters, then don't bother - this will do your head in. 

Looking back, I liked this a lot more than I thought. There's a hell of a lot to mull over, react to and feel with this film, which thankfully doesn't ram it all in your face. It's gloriously shot, wonderfully acted and thematically relatable, and it's mostly in Norwegian. 

Then again, it's a little slow and there are times you want to nut some of the characters. Typical arthouse film. Yep. 

This one has a lot of saving graces.

The crux of the film has two sisters, Nora (Renata Reinsive) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdottir Lilleaas) who reunite with their estranged father, Gustav (Stellan Skarsgard) after the death of their mother. According to rotten.tomatoes.com, the gist of the plot goes like this. 

"Gustav, a once-renowned director who offers stage actress Nora a role in what he hopes will be his comeback film. When Nora turns it down, she soon discovers he has given her part to an eager young Hollywood star. Suddenly, the two sisters must navigate their complicated relationship with their father -- and deal with an American star dropped right into the middle of their complex family dynamics."

That pesky actress, Rachel is played by Elle Fanning, who picks up on the whole family dramas while trying to advance her already stellar career. 

Another major character is the family house, adored by all, which has been on the family for generations. A beautiful house, we see it as it morphs over the ages, from when the ancestors lived there, to the girls troubled marriage, to the present, when Gustav wants to use the house as a set. The house is glorious in its Scandinavian simplicity and is used with impressive effect as the movie wends its way through the narrative. 

Director Joachim Trier pulls off a great film, wrangling some of Scandinavia's best actors, while peppering the film with a heap of pathos and humour. He has a stable of writers and cinematographers who help keep the cohesion. I also loved the juxtaposition of Elle Fanning's character, who shows some gumption as the American actress thrown in the middle of this messy family situation. 

Is this film over-rated by the critics. A little. 

Is it still an enjoyable film? 

Very much so. 

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