Sentimental Value (2025)
🎬 Sentimental Value (2025)
 |
| Theatrical Release Poster |
🕣 Quick Information:
-
Release Date:
-
Cannes Premiere: May 21, 2025
-
Norway Theatrical: September 12, 2025
-
France: August 20, 2025
-
U.S. Limited Release: November 7, 2025
-
-
Genre: Comedy-Drama / Dramedy
-
Runtime: 135 minutes
-
Language: Norwegian, English
🎭 Cast:
-
Renate Reinsve as Nora Borg
-
Stellan Skarsgård as Gustav Borg
-
Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas as Agnes Borg
-
Elle Fanning as Rachel Kemp
-
Cory Michael Smith as Sam
-
Anders Danielsen Lie as Jakob
🔍 Plot:
"Sentimental Value" is a profound and intimate film that follows the emotional journey of two estranged sisters, Nora and Agnes, who reunite after the death of their mother, Sissel. They return to their childhood home, a place filled with memories and unresolved grief. As they begin the task of sorting through their mother's belongings, their long-absent father, Gustav Borg, re-enters their lives. A once-renowned but now struggling filmmaker, Gustav returns with a new project in mind—a deeply personal film about his mother, a Norwegian resistance fighter who suffered under Nazi occupation.
Gustav proposes that they use the family home as a filming location, turning the house into a set for his film. He asks Nora, a talented stage actress, to play the lead role. When Nora refuses, still harboring deep resentment toward her father for abandoning them, Gustav brings in Rachel Kemp, an American actress known more for her celebrity than her craft. Rachel’s arrival introduces tension, glamour, and conflict, as the boundaries between real life and art begin to blur. The house becomes a battleground for familial reconciliation, artistic ambition, and emotional truth.
Throughout the film, the family members navigate grief, creative tension, and the haunting echoes of the past. The drama escalates as Gustav pushes forward with his vision, using the family’s trauma as fuel for his storytelling, much to the discomfort of his daughters. Rachel's presence, meanwhile, challenges Nora’s sense of identity and ownership over her family’s narrative.
Ultimately, "Sentimental Value" explores how people cope with memory, loss, and the legacy of those who came before them. The film-within-a-film structure adds a meta-textual layer, prompting audiences to question the ethics and emotional toll of storytelling itself.
🔥 Fan Buzz:
At its Cannes premiere, "Sentimental Value" received a staggering 19-minute standing ovation—a testament to its emotional resonance and cinematic power. Critics immediately hailed it as one of the strongest contenders at the festival, and it went on to win the Grand Prix. The audience's reaction was visceral, with many moved to tears by the film's honest portrayal of familial grief and reconciliation.
On Reddit, the film quickly became a trending topic in film discussion communities. Users praised the film's layered storytelling, character development, and Trier’s direction. One commenter wrote, "Sentimental Value is the best movie at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival… it slowly wrecks you emotionally."
Rotten Tomatoes reflected this enthusiasm, with early scores hovering around 95% based on critic reviews. Metacritic rated it 89, indicating universal acclaim. Fans particularly noted the chemistry between Renate Reinsve and Elle Fanning, and the powerful performance delivered by Stellan Skarsgård.
🎬 Facts:
-
Director: Joachim Trier
-
Writers: Joachim Trier and Eskil Vogt
-
Cinematography: Kasper Tuxen
-
Music: Hania Rani
-
Producers: Mer Film, Eye Eye Pictures, BBC Film, Zentropa, Film i Väst, MK2, Lumen, Komplizen Film
-
Filming Format: Shot on 35mm film
-
Filming Locations: Oslo, Norway (primary); also filmed in France, Germany, and Sweden
-
Budget: Estimated at $8-10 million
-
Languages: Primarily Norwegian, with scenes in English and German
🔊 Marketing Strategy:
"Sentimental Value" adopted a classic prestige-film marketing approach. NEON acquired U.S. rights at Cannes in 2024, well before the film's completion, showing great confidence in the project. Mubi picked up distribution in several international territories including the UK, Ireland, Turkey, and Latin America.
The film's marketing heavily emphasized its festival accolades, particularly the Cannes Grand Prix win. Teaser trailers released in July 2025 focused on emotional beats and iconic performances, highlighting the tension between Nora and Gustav, as well as Rachel’s outsider presence.
Behind-the-scenes interviews, especially those with Trier and Reinsve, were released on platforms like Variety, The Guardian, and IndieWire. These interviews deepened interest in the film by discussing its thematic focus on memory, grief, and artistic expression.
🎬 Behind-the-Scenes:
The making of "Sentimental Value" was a deeply personal endeavor for director Joachim Trier. He reunited with frequent collaborators Eskil Vogt (co-writer) and Renate Reinsve (lead actress), creating a spiritual successor to his earlier film, "The Worst Person in the World."
Filming took place primarily in Oslo, in a real family home selected for its emotional resonance and architectural intimacy. Trier opted to shoot on 35mm film to enhance the tactile quality of the visuals, lending the film a nostalgic, almost ghostly feel.
Stellan Skarsgård, known for his commanding screen presence, brought gravitas and vulnerability to the role of Gustav. Elle Fanning reportedly worked extensively on her character's accent and emotional tone, immersing herself in the Nordic environment to bring authenticity to Rachel.
The film score, composed by Hania Rani, is subtle and evocative, using piano and ambient textures to underscore moments of emotional introspection. Rani's music was praised for its ability to reflect the internal states of the characters.
✂️ Deleted Scenes:
While the theatrical release of "Sentimental Value" runs at 135 minutes, insiders revealed that several emotionally rich scenes were left on the cutting room floor. These include:
-
Extended monologues by Nora: Scenes where she reflects on her childhood and her mother were reportedly cut for pacing.
-
Flashbacks to Gustav’s youth: Originally, Trier included scenes that showed Gustav as a young filmmaker during his mother’s final days. These were removed to maintain focus on the present-day story.
-
More interactions between Agnes and her husband/children: These scenes were trimmed to keep the narrative tightly centered on the three main characters.
🎯 Final Verdict:
"Sentimental Value" is a triumph of emotional storytelling, a film that doesn't shy away from complex familial relationships or the burdens of memory. Trier's direction is both intimate and expansive, using the family home as a central symbol of legacy and loss. The performances are universally strong, with Renate Reinsve delivering a particularly nuanced portrayal of a woman grappling with artistic identity and personal grief.
Stellan Skarsgård is equally impressive, portraying Gustav not just as a failed father but as a flawed artist trying to make peace with his past. Elle Fanning’s Rachel provides the perfect outsider lens, her Hollywood sensibility clashing and harmonizing with the Nordic restraint of the Borg family.
The film's cinematography, score, and direction all come together to create a rich tapestry that rewards attentive viewing. It's a film that lingers in your mind, prompting questions about how we remember, how we forgive, and how we tell our stories.
In short, "Sentimental Value" is not just one of the best films of 2025; it is a cinematic experience that will be studied and remembered for years to come.
✨ Additional Thoughts:
Themes & Symbolism:
The house in "Sentimental Value" functions as more than a setting—it is a character in itself. Representing both comfort and trauma, it becomes a battleground where past and present collide. The film also explores the ethics of using personal history for art, questioning whether healing can truly be achieved through performance.
Performance Highlights:
Reinsve brings a quiet intensity to Nora, capturing the tension between artistic drive and emotional vulnerability. Skarsgård, meanwhile, transforms Gustav from a caricature of a tortured artist into a deeply human, regretful father. Fanning surprises with a subtle, sensitive performance that balances charm with insecurity.
Awards Pulse:
Following its Grand Prix win at Cannes, "Sentimental Value" is a strong contender for Best International Feature at the Oscars. Reinsve is also generating early buzz for Best Actress, and Trier for Best Director.
Final Word:
"Sentimental Value" is a film that reminds us of the power of cinema to heal, to provoke, and to connect. It invites viewers to reflect on their own histories, to forgive, and to move forward—all while acknowledging the weight of what we leave behind.
A must-watch masterpiece.
Comments
Post a Comment