Sentimental Value was recommended by my classmate Betsy, who got a look at it last week at the Telluride Film Festival. She told me to run, don’t walk to see this one. So I changed my viewing schedule for the first day of the festival to start with this.

And wow.

A beautiful and poignant film with outstanding performances by every member of the cast. Gorgeously shot, and tenderly told, Sentimental Value is must-see entry at TIFF.

Stellan Skarsgard plays Gustav, a renowned Norwegian director, with a drinking problem who hasn’t made a film in fifteen years. He’s completed a new script, one that he has written specifically for his daughter, Nora (Renate Reinsve). Unfortunately, he has broken familial connections with Nora, and her sister, Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas).

He is working to reforge those connections, but Nora has her own career on the stage, and issues of her own to solve.

When Nora rebukes Gustav’s approach, he turns to Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning), who is enchanted by one of Gustav’s films at a retrospective. The two decide to collaborate on the new film, but that causes more problems in the family.

With that as its launching point, the story explores themes of film, aging, the frailty of the human heart, the lies we tell ourselves, loneliness and sadness. Trier has an eye for emotional detail, and with a poignant script by Trier and Eskil Vogt, Sentimental Values beguiles with its tenderly realized and emotionally powerful story.

Reinsve is nothing short of outstanding in her performance of Nora, and Trier does a fantastic job letting moments play out on actor’s faces, instead of leading the audience step by step through the narrative.

Sentimental Values is a masterful effort. If you have the opportunity check it out at TIFF. It screens tomorrow night at 6pm at Scotiabank Theatre.