January 29, 2026
When their mother passed away, Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) were reunited with their estranged father, the esteemed filmmaker Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgård). Gustav wrote a script about the resistance activities and death of his mother, and wanted Nora, a stage actress, to play the lead role. When Nora declined because of their past issues, Gustav offered the role to American actress Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning).
"Sentimental Value," winner of the Grand Prix at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival, is a Norwegian film directed and co-written by Joachim Trier. This new film reunited Trier with his co-writer Eskil Vogt and lead actress Renate Reinsave from his acclaimed film "The Worst Person in the World" (MY REVIEW). "Worst" also competed for the Palme D'Or at Cannes in 2021, where Reinsve won the Best Actress award.
In "Sentimental," Reinsve played a stage actress with a severe stage fright. Her most intense scene here was that opening sequence of her Nora struggling to get into the proper frame of mind to mount the stage was very tense as the clock was ticking past curtain time. Even if her acting style would be subtler that this for the rest of the film, Reinsve is right in the thick of Best Actress race at the Oscars this year for her performance here.
There were two other actresses who complete the lead ensemble, and they both also make a big impression on the audience even if they displayed considerable restraint in their portrayals. Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas's Agnes was the peacemaker who treated her father with more kindness than abrasive Nora. I was impressed with Elle Fanning in that scene where her Rachel bared her insecurities to Nora with so much sincerity, sensitivity and humility.
This awards season, Stellan Skarsgard is one of the leading nominees for Best Supporting Actor. This is another case of lead actors being fielded for Oscar consideration in the supporting category for a better chance to be nominated and win. As the egotistical artist and father, Gustav was the source of the film's tension and Skarsgard truly commanded the screen whenever he was on with his imposing presence. 8/10
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