arts
March 12, 2026
Why Sentimental Value should win the best picture Oscar
It may not have a flashy high concept like the other nominees but Joachim Trier’s family saga is satisfyingly grownup film-making, and beats them all as a showcase for great performance
TL;DR
- "Sentimental Value" is a family saga spanning decades and generations, intertwined with a film about moviemaking.
- The film is praised for its emotional depth, described as churning and roiling like Bergman, but with a springiness and playfulness.
- It offers a significant showcase for its four lead actors, all of whom are Oscar-nominated.
- The story centers on Nora, an actress with stage fright, and her broken relationship with her father, Gustav, a director.
- Gustav wants Nora to star in his final film, based on his mother who committed suicide, a proposition Nora initially refuses.
- The family's ancestral home, featured in Trier's previous film "Oslo, August 31st," serves as a central element, moving through history and reflecting familial fissures.
- The film questions the cost of drawing art from painful personal history and critiques the industry's lack of adult-oriented films.
- "Sentimental Value" is highlighted as a leading example of European filmmaking for adults, earning multiple Academy Award nominations.
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