Sentimental Value

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⭐9/10

I squeezed this movie in right before the Oscars and of the nominees I watched (and I watched 8 of 10!), this might be my favorite? This was the kind of pretentious Oscar bait that I actually like! 

This movie has the same director and essentially the same cast as Worst Person in the World, and it may as well be the sequel because they are all playing the same characters. I liked this movie a bit better in pretty much every way, just a little shaper, and then I think Stellan Skarsgard adds a ton of gravity. What a run for Skarsgard who I was never convinced was actually that good, but man, Andor into this has slapped that theory in the face. 

After a month of watching best picture nominees, I wasn't sure I could endure another two hours of pure *humans-contain-multitudes* schtick, but I was totally won over. This movie did it best. Getting introduced to characters by their actions, not words, and then forming opinions only to have them altered the more you learn about them, shaming you for your judgement, is a powerful thing. I thought this was a masterclass in characterization, a lesson I hope to retain in my own creative efforts, seeing how they interact with each other and the world without ever having to spell it out. You get so much more from what they don't say. 

There are a few of those pretentious monologues that I typically loathe, except it works because they come from characters who are supposed to be pretentious. Skarsgard is amazing in this way, being a complete unlikeable asshole, except one you come to understand as the movie goes along. 

It's also impossible to talk about this movie without talking about the performance by Renate Reinsve. She is a force in this movie, and if she was in English movies I think she'd be an all-time favorite of mine. She is the heartbeat of this and makes it all work, and Tim made the best comparison for her that I wished I'd thought of but I'm sure he'll mention in his review. 

The only slight negative I'll mention is that I thought for such a messy premise, it had a bit of a tidy ending. I felt like it betrayed it's theme, and it's okay to have unresolved feelings and I think the audience would have understood. But that's minor and this movie was one of my favorites from 2025. 


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