Stellan Skarsgård and Elle Fanning’s ‘Sentimental Value’ Falls Flat Despite Star-Studded Cast

I’m Quinn Parker, and I’m about to spill all the tea on the latest film sensation that’s left me feeling, well, underwhelmed. The Norwegian dramedy “Sentimental Value,” starring Stellan Skarsgård and Elle Fanning, recently played at the Toronto International Film Festival, and I’m here to give you the lowdown.

“Sentimental Value” is a film that’s as chilly as a winter morning in the fjords, with a runtime of 135 minutes that feels like an eternity. Directed by Joachim Trier, the movie follows the story of Gustav, a venerable and slightly creepy film director played by Skarsgård, who hasn’t made a movie in a long time and left his wife and kids years earlier. His daughter Agnes, played by Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, starred in one of his best features when she was a little girl, but ultimately opted for a domestic life as a wife and mother. Her sister Nora, played by Renate Reinsve, is an untethered actress who Gustav desperately wants to star in his long-awaited new film.

The film’s plot is as predictable as a Chekhovian drama, with characters that feel more like caricatures than fully fleshed-out people. The relationships between the characters are strained, with restrained sparks that never quite ignite into fireworks. The family owns an old house in Oslo that has a lot of history, both agonizing and happy, and it’s clear that Trier is trying to convey a sense of nostalgia and longing. But despite its visually stunning catalogue-esque cinematography, the film feels like a picture that refuses to move.

The acting in “Sentimental Value” is, for the most part, superb. Reinsve brings a sense of gravitas to her role as Nora, and Lilleaas is convincing as Agnes, with a maternal protectiveness and fatigue that’s hard to shake. Elle Fanning, as American actress Rachel Kemp, is also impressive, bringing a sense of vulnerability and determination to her character. But Skarsgård, as Gustav, feels stilted, like he’s playing a charming jerk without much depth.

Despite its Oscar contender status, “Sentimental Value” feels like a film that’s more interested in looking pretty than actually saying anything meaningful. It’s a movie that’s as cold as the Norwegian winter, with characters that feel more like sketches than fully realized people. I couldn’t help but feel like I was watching a film that was trying to be something it’s not, and that’s a shame.

As I watched “Sentimental Value,” I couldn’t help but think of other films that have captured my attention in the past. Movies like “Parasite,” “Anora,” “Triangle of Sadness,” and “Anatomy of a Fall” all had one thing in common: they were hypnotizing, intriguing, and surprising. “Sentimental Value,” on the other hand, feels like a film that’s content to simply exist, without really leaving an impact.

In the end, “Sentimental Value” is a film that’s more interested in aesthetics than actuality. It’s a movie that’s visually stunning, but emotionally vacant. And that’s a shame, because with a cast like Skarsgård and Fanning, I was expecting something more.

And that’s a wrap, folks! It’s clear that “Sentimental Value” has its fans, but for me, it’s a film that failed to leave a lasting impression.

Sources: Celebrity Storm and The New York Post
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed