Sentimental Value
From start to finish an absolutely perfect movie in my eyes. I don't think there was a single scene, character or piece of score that was underused, overused or out of place. From the cinematography to the acting to the subject matter I haven't been this emotionally moved by a film since I saw Sound of Metal. There are two things that stuck with me the most from watching this movie. The first is the very natural and soft tone of the line deliveries. In an era of cinema where extremely expressive performances are often the most praised (usually rightfully so of course) it was nice to see the tender performances of Stellan Skarsgard, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Elle Fanning and most of all Renate Reinsve. I think this choice really helped illustrate that there shouldn't be 'sides' during a family disagreement and a dialogue (even if occasionally aggressive) should hopefully always prevail. Secondly, I really enjoyed the small scale and intimate nature of the movie. The majority of the movie took place at the family home and beginning the movie by saying the house is watching is just a beautiful choice by the writers. This choice is later reinforced with the multitude of through the window shots. I also really loved how the movie uses movie making as a reflection of Gustav's absent parenting. From the very first interview, it was clear that Gustav was treating Rachel as the daughter he wishes he kept close. Rachel seems to slowly realize this and gently coaxes Gustav into trying to make peace with Nora and obtain the actor the role deserves. Speaking of Nora, her emotional journey and slow reveal of the background behind her resentment of her father is incredible to watch. Renate Reinsve's performance encapsulates everything that comes with being the eldest child in a troubled household. The stage anxiety scene at the beginning and the way the audience never sees the makeshift repairs to the dress symbolizes depression in a way I haven't seen since Casey Affleck's Oscar winning performance in Manchester by the Sea. There are so many other emotional themes relating to family dynamics that Joachim Trier touches on including the sibling dynamic between Nora and Agnes that I couldn't possibly cover them all in Letterboxd review. I really urge everyone to watch this movie because it covers several universal experiences that are unfortunately becoming greater problems in our society.