An American review of the Norwegian-language film “Sentimental Value”

An American review of the Norwegian-language film "Sentimental Value" from Philly Plain Dealer writer Liz Rabou

Joachim Trier is a “seasons” guy. Sentimental Value opens on Oslo’s late summer canopy, bursts of orange leaves presaging the fall, before landing on the outside of the Borg family home. Inside, there are reminders to turn the gas off over the stove, backdoor escape routes, creaking floorboards, and windows open to overloud birdsong. The film, like the house, feels lived-in. The wardrobes are subtle but hardworking, with monochrome sets for the successful but single, “80% fucked up” Nora (Renata Rensve), bulky cardigans for her dependable sister Agnes, (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), dark and functional workwear for the their father, the auteur director (Stellan Skarsgård), and outfits on-trend for Hollywood starlet Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning), that chirpy American who asks intimate questions of her more repressed Scandinavian counterparts.

Read more: https://phillyplaindealer.com/2026/01/31/i-dont-want-to-grow-up-joachim-triers-sentimental-value/