Saagar Kote
Directed by Joachim Trier, ‘Sentimental Value’ or ‘Affeksjonsverdi’ is the tale of a family in crisis. The Norwegian drama film explores the difficult relationship between an actress named Nora Borg (Renate Reinsve) and her father Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgård), a washed-up filmmaker. He hopes to direct a new film to save his declining career, and offers the leading role to his daughter, but she refuses. This drives him towards Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning), a young American actress seeking a new direction in her career. This decision leads to misunderstanding, doubt, and insecurities between Nora, her sister Agnes Borg Pettersen (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), and Gustav.
With relationships and art at stake, family dynamics become increasingly complicated. To save themselves, the members of the family will have to come to terms with difficult truths. The narrative sheds light on the father-daughter relationship, the value of art, and the concept of redemption. These movies, similar to ‘Sentimental Value,’ will tug at your heartstrings through their layered portrayal of relationships.
10. The Celebration (1998)
Helmed by Thomas Vinterberg, ‘The Celebration’ or ‘Festen’ revolves around the members of a Danish family, who gather to celebrate the 60th birthday of the patriarch Helge (Henning Moritzen). What starts as a joyous party soon descends into chaos when secrets start to emerge from the family members. Helge’s children, Helene (Paprika Steen), Michael (Thomas Bo Larsen), and Christian (Ulrich Thomsen) have their own interests in life. However, when Christian reveals details about the recent suicide death of his twin sister, Linda, it threatens to tear the family down. The Danish drama film, in the vein of ‘Sentimental Value,’ is a profound examination of familial secrets, values, and relationships under tense circumstances.
9. Bergman Island (2021)
In ‘Bergman Island,’ Chris Sanders (Vicky Krieps) and Tony Sanders (Tim Roth) are a screenwriting couple, looking for some inspiration to write about new ideas. They travel to Fårö, the island that inspired the legendary director Ingmar Bergman in the past. During their summer retreat, the English-German pair engages in deep conversations about their marital lives and their roles within them. Even as they fall in love with the island, Chris begins to question her value in the marriage, leading Tony to face difficult questions about his reality.
With new perspectives yielding unexpected results, the couple must work hard to keep their marriage alive. Directed by Mia Hansen-Løve, the French romantic drama film is a haunting take on relationships. Although it primarily focuses on the relationship between a husband and wife, it reflects the doubts, insecurities, and egos of Nora and Gustav, who grapple with the challenges of filmmaking in ‘Sentimental Value.’
8. Clouds of Sils Maria (2014)
‘Clouds of Sils Maria’ is the story of an aging actress named Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche) and her personal assistant Valentine (Kristen Stewart). The actress gets a rare opportunity to essay a character called Helena in a play she used to be part of. However, it is a role that is opposite to Sigrid, the character she used to play in the past. With Jo-Ann Ellis (Chloë Grace Moretz), a younger actress cast to play Sigrid, Maria faces emotional difficulties, as she has always known Sigrid’s side of the story.
The line between reality and fiction appears to blur when Maria becomes more deeply involved in the play. Directed by Olivier Assayas, the French psychological drama film in the English language is a poignant navigation of identity, self-worth, and relationships, with cinema in the background, just like ‘Sentimental Value.’ The narratives explore various types of relationships, but the cinematic element and artistic expression unite them on a spiritual level.
7. The Truth (2019)
‘The Truth’ or ‘La vérité’ narrates the journey of Fabienne Dangeville (Catherine Deneuve), an aging actress who publishes her autobiography, which causes unexpected tension with her daughter Lumir (Juliette Binoche), who travels to Paris from New York to visit her. The daughter begins to feel that her mother has intentionally omitted crucial details and has also given a misleading impression to the readers about her childhood and their mother-daughter relationship.
As the two women come to terms with their fragile bond, they have to confront difficult truths about themselves. Directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda, the French drama film, like ‘Sentimental Value,’ is a keen exploration of the parent-child relationship in the world of cinema. The experiences of Nora and Lumir are interconnected as they deal with their insecurities, and so do their parents.
6. Mia Madre (2015)
Directed by Nanni Moretti, ‘Mia Madre’ (also known as ‘My Mother’) chronicles the life of Margherita (Margherita Buy), a filmmaker struggling with a difficult relationship with her mother, Ada (Giulia Lazzarini). The former finds it challenging to cope with her professional life, leading to confusion and a feeling of emptiness. When Margherita learns about her mother’s deteriorating health, it makes the situation worse, as she doesn’t have a healthy relationship with her and other members of the family. To save her career and legacy, she must confront difficult truths about herself. The Italian-French drama movie depicts the intricacies of the parent-child relationship. Nora, in ‘Sentimental Value,’ faces issues similar to Margherita in the narrative, which spiritually connects the two main characters.
5. Pain and Glory (2019)
A Pedro Almodóvar directorial, ‘Pain and Glory’ or ‘Dolor y gloria’ is a Spanish drama film that follows the ups and downs in the life of Salvador Mallo (Antonio Banderas), a Spanish filmmaker. He faces declining health and memories of a troubled past. As he prepares for the re-release of a classic film from the past, he must confront the difficult choices he made, his romantic relationships, and his complex bond with his mother. As the filmmaker comes to terms with his legacy, he may have a chance to redeem his soul. Akin to Gustav in ‘Sentimental Value,’ Salvador, too, is a director who faces a crisis of relevance and difficulties with a parent.
4. The Squid and the Whale (2005)
Directed by Noah Baumbach, ‘The Squid and the Whale’ deals with Frank Berkman (Owen Kline) and Walt Berkman (Jesse Eisenberg), brothers, who are struggling to accept the separation of their parents Bernard (Jeff Daniels) and Joan (Laura Linney). Set in 1980s Brooklyn, the comedy-drama film examines the complexities of the relationship between the siblings, as Frank stays with his mother and Walt remains with his father. With their teenage passions taking hold of them, they must learn to overcome the challenges of their broken family and find happiness. The familial values, the difficult relationship between children and parents, and the choice of reconciliation connect the narrative to ‘Sentimental Value’ and its characters.
3. Autumn Sonata (1978)
In ‘Autumn Sonata’ or ‘Höstsonaten,’ a popular pianist named Charlotte Andergast (Ingrid Bergman) faces a tough situation when she makes an unlikely decision after seven years. She reunites with her estranged daughter Eva (Liv Ullmann), who has been dealing with the turbulence of her own heart. The mother-daughter relationship appears to be strained beyond repair, as Eva remains resentful of her mother. With Charlotte’s neglectful attitude towards her daughter taking a toll on her, she also crosses paths with her other daughter, Helena (Lena Nyman), whom she had previously admitted into an institution due to her mental health issues.
The relationship between the daughters and the mother reaches new levels of chaos as they decide to have a difficult conversation about each other. Helmed by Ingmar Bergman, the Swedish psychological drama film is a poignant navigation of familial bonds, especially between daughters and parents. These themes, along with the exploration of the cost of artistic brilliance, connect the story to ‘Sentimental Value.’
2. The Meyerowitz Stories (2017)
Netflix’s ‘The Meyerowitz Stories’ or ‘The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)’ explores the difficult relationships between various estranged members of the Meyerowitz family, who converge in NYC for a special occasion. Danny (Adam Sandler), Jean (Elizabeth Marvel), and Matthew (Ben Stiller) are siblings who share a difficult relationship with each other and their father, Harold Meyerowitz (Dustin Hoffman). With the father reaching a new phase in his career as an artist, the kids hope to celebrate it. However, difficult truths and insecurities between the siblings cause chaos in the group. Directed by Noah Baumbach, the comedy-drama film, on the lines of ‘Sentimental Value,’ is a commentary on artistic value, the cost of relationships, and the ups and downs of an essentially dysfunctional family.
1. Louder Than Bombs (2015)
Directed by Joachim Trier, ‘Louder Than Bombs’ is the story of Jonah (Jesse Eisenberg), his brother Conrad (Devin Druid), and their father Gene (Gabriel Byrne). In his English-language debut, the Norwegian director narrates the difficult experiences of the sons as they try to cope with the death and legacy of their mother, a renowned war photographer named Isabelle (Isabelle Huppert). With the siblings forced to spend time with their father, the emotional dynamics between the three become chaotic due to years of loveless existence and distance.
With each of them having a different take on Isabelle’s reality, they struggle to overcome their differences. If they wish to save what remains of their family, they must try to have conversations that they have avoided for a long time. Like ‘Sentimental Value,’ the movie is a nuanced exploration of secrets, egos, individuality within a familial setting, the cost of building a functional parent-child relationship, and the pursuit of artistic brilliance.
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