As for the house, we often liken such integral environments to characters in a script, but in this case, the house is a mute witness to a family trying to thrive while battling demons of their own design. Despite their struggles, life is shown in languid movements and the comforting familiarity of cozy spaces. Beautiful cinematography and music frame the drama without interfering with it, making the viewer a voyeur of the world Trier creates.
The success of Sentimental Value, of course, turns on the performances, and they are all superlative. Skarsgård inhabits the skin of Gustav with a naturalistic authenticity that is a wonder to behold. Fanning navigates the nuances of the young actress trying to spread her wings with unearthly skill and command. It’s worth noting that she also appears in the wildly successful Predator: Badlands, and the range to be able to play both characters so well is impressive. These accolades aside, the film belongs to Reinsve as Nora. Her large, expressive eyes become her instrument, played by a virtuoso. She acts with surgical precision in conveying the nuances of both Nora’s histrionic breakdowns as well as her locked-vault reticence to engage when she’s in the worst of her pain.
“…soars to the heights of unearned optimism only to crash …”
The film is deceptively simple conceptually, but it snowballs into a complex tapestry of narrative lines and emotional imperatives. The density of this trauma hairball can be daunting for the viewer, as much of the time, the characters are in horrific spiritual pain.
Trier drags us through the broken glass of this wounded family’s tragedy for 133 minutes. The weight of the runtime is exacerbated by the sluggish pace and English dialogue alternating with subtitled Norwegian throughout. One should be well rested and emotionally energetic to take on Sentimental Value. Your efforts and patience for taking this journey will be rewarded. Trier has created a masterwork, with layers of human drama and frailty (on a budget of less than $8M), soaring to the heights of unearned optimism only to crash into the inevitably of mortality.
Learn more at the official Sentimental Value website
"…a masterwork, with layers of human drama and frailty..."
