Sentimental Value

This was a delight to watch - one of those films that feels like a warm hug on a cold winter morning. I was expecting to be blown away stupendously or be in tears, but no - this film just caressed me and I don't think there isn't a single person I wouldn't recommend this film to. This is a screenplay most writers wish they could write once in their lifetime. The scope of the story isn't gigantic, but it is so profound you can't help but be drawn to it. Every scene, every dialogue feels so meticulously planned and executed yet nothing seems synthetic - it all just fits naturally. The house as a symbolism for generational trauma was a really great addition as well. It is interesting how Nora and Gustav are at the centre of this complicated relationship, yet Agnes- my favourite character- played one of the largest roles in the entire film. Gustav's lack of emotional intelligence was in fact mirrored with Nora's repressed emotional baggage, and Agnes sympathized with both Nora as a daughter and sister but with Gustav as well, as she herself was a mother to one. Rachel, as an emphatic outsider, who became a catalyst for the emotional growth of every single character, was a really interesting choice as well. Elle Fanning as a brunette looked absolutely beautiful and no one comes close. The use of film as an escapism as well as a confrontation of reality really felt personal. I don't think Gustav's script was so good because he wrote it just for her daughter- the cycle of trauma that Karin passed to Gustav, and him passing it onto Nora kind of reflected to him in a mirror. The script was for his mother, Nora as well as himself - hence the detail about the suicide. Gustav hadn't done much to be redeemed but he didn't fake understanding Nora. Sure his emotional negligence despite being a prolific director was annoying, he didn't live with pretence, and when he started to did, Rachel caressed him back to his reality. Just a beautiful film. I have grown so accustomed to longer takes that the first thirty minutes made my head HURT, because it kept cutting and cutting lmao. However, the cinematography and the camerawork is just too beautiful and calm, the editing is apt - especially the cuts to black. The color grading gives such a warmth to everything. The score is calming and the dialogues - especially the prayer monologue is amazing. I think this is one of the best screenplays of 2025, and certainly the most humane. A must watch film. Also I need a grandfather who gifts me The Piano Teacher and Irreversible.