The Movie Man: Why ‘Sentimental Value’ Should Win Best Picture

Sentimental Value is a must-see movie. I consider it a strong contender for the Best Picture for its exceptional performances in an arthouse film that is both thought-provoking and entertaining enough to hold our attention throughout its runtime.

Beyond the awards, I think this will be considered a classic as time passes.

After their mother’s sudden death, sisters Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) must deal with the return of their absentee filmmaker father, Gustav (Stellan Skarsgård), who intends to produce a movie based on his own childhood trauma with the family home as its setting.

Skarsgård has been a treasure throughout his acting career, from Good Will Hunting to HBO’s Chernobyl to his appearances throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But I consider this to be his greatest performance. In Gustav, we see a man who kept his distance from his children but is ultimately a good man who cares for others. We witness him awkwardly attempt to reconcile with his daughters but lacking the awareness that he is only making things worse. He is a thoroughly imperfect man whose heart is always in the right place.

We must also appreciate Reinsve’s performance as Nora, who has turned to the theatre to chase a high to stave off the trauma of Gustav’s absence. This is also seen as she pursues sex but is unable to take relationships further with the necessary emotional investment. Like her father, she can care for others, but not for the most intimate people in her life.

Being set in Norway and dealing with deeper, more emotional themes than an average film, I recalled the movies of Ingmar Bergman (yes, even for reasons as simple as that). The similarities are evident in the film’s use of a narrator and in the aging family home crumbling into disrepair as an obvious metaphor for the movie’s storyline. While a continuous drama, Sentimental Value does contain the impression of a vignette-driven narrative with scenes that deal with emotional issues with hard cuts to black in between. But I particularly loved the storytelling through suggestion rather than explicit depiction.

Based on my reading, it seems certain that Skarsgård will take home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. But this is also my personal favorite of the ten nominees for Best Picture. Will it win? I like its chances, but Hollywood is full of surprises. We’ll all find out Sunday, March 15, at the Oscars.

About the Author: Having lived in Old Lyme and Lyme since the age of three, Kevin Ganey has a lifelong passion for cinema that goes beyond simply watching films. He is the creator of CityOfCinema.com, a site devoted to movie analysis, and co-hosts the Moviehouse Mystics podcast with Koda Uhl, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.