Sentimental Value

Release date - December 26

Cert - 15

Run-time - 2 hours 13 minutes

Director - Joachim Trier

Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgård) returns to filmmaking with inspiration from his family's life, in the hope of re-establishing relationships with his estranged daughters (Renate Reinsve, Inga Ibsdotter Lileaas).

Filmmaker Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgård) is at his young grandson's birthday party. Awkwardness is in the air before his present, including a DVD of The Piano Teacher, is unwrapped. Behind the funniest moment in Sentimental Value the views of estranged daughter Nora (Renate Reinsve) are confirmed. He has little understanding of how to be a father, or how to communicate with children.

Nora and her sister Agnes (Inga Ibsdotte Lileaas) have seen little of their father since he left them as children in their home, also housing generational trauma. It's this that Gustav wants to make his first film in 20 years about, with the hope of involving his daughters as he once did in his early work. Death and loss are key to the emotions of both his project and Sentimental Value.

Co-writer, alongside regular writing partner Eskil Vogt, and director Joachim Trier - also behind Scandi hit The Worst Person In The World which made a star of Reinsve - view the relationships with a stoic and straightforward demeanor. Allowing for a natural focus on outbursts and reveals - especially regarding Nora's past - even if slightly holding back on possible impacts.

Moments of the sisters simply talking, unbottling their emotions in the most gentle and casual ways, are particularly effective. The quietness provides a safety and security to not conceal worries in the wake of their father's return.

The family are each living different lives as they try to find contentment whilst healing, or ignoring, years-long fractures. The film can sometimes feel somewhat busy with the different relationships on display, but as the characters come closer together, at least physically, emotions start to come to the fore with more ease.

Art as a form of therapy and communication is central to Sentimental Value. The more personal and reflective Gustav's project becomes, and mirrors things for Nora, whether coincidental or not, the detail of the characters and performance grows, especially in moments of sustained emotion. A mirroring tracking shot is full of worrisome, breath-holding suspense as to where the character it focuses on will be at the end, the camera's distance pushing the audience's feeling of helplessness.

While the performances are effective in showing the concealed emotions of the characters the film works best when these come more to the fore. By the end there may not quite be a warmth to the film - intentionally so - there does appear to be a sentimentality directed towards the characters. Alongside what art, in whichever way you're involved with it, can say and do.

Four stars