Mer Film and Eye Eye Pictures released Sentimental Value, directed and written by Norwegian filmmaker Joachim Trier on Nov. 7.
The drama, which has nine Oscar nominations this year, is a love letter dedicated to a family trying to heal in its own way.
It follows theater actress Nora Borg and her younger sister Agnes, who have to deal with the return of their estranged father Gustav following their mother’s death.
The movie opens with Gustav ending his marriage with Sissel, his two daughter’s mother. He soon focuses on his career as a film director and leaves the country, visiting his family every once in a while.
After Sissel dies, Gustav returns to the family home in an attempt to reclaim it and reconcile with his daughters. Nora and Agnes harbor a lot of resentment toward their father because of his absence in their childhood. They argue frequently.
But Gustav continues to try to reunite with his daughters. He shows Nora the script of a film he wants her to star in. Nora refuses the role.
Gustav moves forward with his film without Nora, hiring an American actress instead and Nora remains focused on her theater roles.
Throughout the story, there is a parallel between the father and daughter reflected in their artistic endeavours, and their relationship—distant yet longing for connection—becomes the source of their creativity.
Nora carries deep resentment toward her father, but she also longs for his validation. Gustav, on the other hand, chooses to create a film to express his desire to reconnect with his daughters rather than directly apologizing to them.
The film has a lot of realistic and vulnerable dialogue, from private conversations to full-blown arguments. Daughters with ruined relationships with their father can relate to Nora. Viewers are also able to understand the complex path of being a father through Gustov’s eyes.
It leaves its audience with many questions. Is resentment necessary to forgive and in order to love? How can hope persist when trying to connect with a family member whose presence was unstable? Do the daughters hate their father who leaves or do they hate the need to still connect with him? Those questions unveil the duality of the movie.
Meanwhile, the symbolism of the cracks in the family house—a place with as much history as it has personality—makes it feel like another character in the movie.
In addition, the integration of Cannock Chase, a 1972 track by British singer-songwriter Labi Siffre, into the film’s score contributes a subtle yet deeply endearing dimension. The song is about Siffre feeling down yet remaining optimistic by finding inspiration in nature.
Beyond being a film that aims to deliver a lesson about the power of forgiveness, it shows why reconciliation can be difficult.
Guided by the value of memory, shared similarities and longing for connection, Sentimental Value shows how reconstructing a broken family is possible, but it’s a process that only begins when someone is ready.
