A Deep dive into the 4 main characters in Joachim Trier’s most recent Oscar nominated film, Sentimental Value. The film got 9 total of Oscar Nominations, including Best Picture.
Courtesy of Sentimental Value
Throughout the entire time of watching this film, I was just in awe and mesmerized of how well all the characters are written. Coming off from 2021’s The Worst Person In The World, which I thought was a phenomenal film. Joachim Trier and his crew just casually hit another home run with Sentimental Value. This film reminds me of just the massive importance of Character writing, as much as the plot. Trier, together with his longtime writing partner, Eskil Vogt, wrote such complex yet bewildering characters, that can heal you and break your heart at the same time. All the characters are flawlessly written, but here I am going to talk about the Big Four of Sentimental Value, which is Nora, Agnes, Gustav, and last but not least, Rachel Kemp.
Nora Borg
Started of with Nora Borg, played brilliantly by Renate Reinsve. On the outside, Nora seems at most times lonely, and tough on herself. She always felt like an outsider in her own home. She doesn’t easily allow people to get to know her too close, as she feels like she does not deserve it. She feels she doesn’t deserve to be loved. All these thoughts and feelings that she had towards herself, have somehow made her unable to see the immense love that people actually have for her. Not until the end, that she could see how much her sister loves her. Not until she was reminded by someone how her father actually cared for her. She closed herself early in her life, that opening it up and be vulnerable is making her suffocated.
Agnes Borg
Nora’s sister Agnes, is also nothing but a fascinating character. Played by Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, she managed to deliver this role in the most captivating way. Agnes, being the younger sister of Nora, has her life a bit more put together than her sister in a way. She is the stability of the family, or at least she tried to be. Knowing her sister and her father, she always tries to be the voice of reason. Despite seeming like the one who has figured it all out, we’ll realize that she actually has her own battles and struggles. But Agnes is a character who always ended up taking safe bets her whole life. That meant some dreams are crushed, but her life is still fine and manageable. In other words, she knew that she could’ve reached higher, but she chooses the ordinary path and that is enough for her.
Gustav Borg
It won’t be complete discussing Nora and Agnes without visiting the character of their father, Gustav Borg. Stellan Skarsgård, being the stellar actor that he is, he portrayed this character like a true pro. The character Gustav, as was told in the beginning of the film like this stereotypical absent father (in a way, he is), he actually has such a dark past that he was never brave enough to open up to someone. Including his own children. I think Gustav has a lot of love to give but doesn’t quite know how to express them. Outside of his self struggles, he is a good artist. But not a good father nor husband. He doesn’t know how to be one. Throughout the film, we can see that he tries to be a good father, and a good grandfather too, but in his own ways. In ways that he did not realize that those are not the ways that his family needs. At the end of the day, Gustav is such a tough on the outside but very scared and sensitive on the inside.
Rachel Kemp
Lastly, and arguably, one of the most interesting characters in the film, is Elle Fanning’s character, named Rachel Kemp. In the film, when Gustav first approach Nora, his daughter to play the main role in his most recent written script, she declines him straight away without even reading it first. And with financing issues as well, Gustav ended up offering this role to the famous and talented American, Rachel Kemp. So in this situation, Rachel is like a rebound, as Gustav wanted the film to still be made despite unable to get her daughter to play the role. Gustav only sees Rachel as someone whom he thought could “replace” Nora, even though he still respects Rachel. In all this chaos, Rachel managed to see through what’s really in Gustav’s mind, and the truth about the origin and the purpose of him doing this film. In a way, she helped him sees his true feelings about his own film, and why he wanted to do it in the first place.
In conclusion, I cannot stress enough how much I admire this film. Joachim Trier films are all about the characters, the people, engaging in such raw and complex stories or journeys. And with the recently announced 9 Oscar Nominations, with all the actors whose characters I’ve just discussed above got their noms, including other categories, like Best Editing, Best Screenplay, Best International Feature, and Best Director, I cannot help but to invite everyone who hasn’t watched this film, to check it out as soon as you can. Beautiful film.
