The latest Joachim Trier film is about subject matter I'm not predisposed to enjoy. Renate Reinsve plays Nora Borg, an actress who occasionally suffers from extreme bouts of stage fright. Stellan Skarsgård plays her estranged father Gustav, a celebrated director who has a new film project he wants Nora to star in. Nora turns Gustav down, so he brings in an American actress, Rachel (Elle Fanning). As the project progresses, it stirs up many issues from the past, not only related to Gustav and Nora's relationship, but to Nora's sister Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas), and Gustav's long-deceased mother Karin, who suffered trauma from her experiences in WWII.
I tend to have trouble with films about actors and acting, and foreign-language films about acting in particular for some reason. There's always something about them that strikes me as indulgent and disingenuous. "Sentimental Value," fortunately, isn't about acting for very long. It's about navigating a tricky family situation and the place of art in trying to process and reckon with difficult emotions. It's also about the inadvertent passing of trauma from one generation to the next, as Gustav has to reckon with the fact that his attempts to bring his children into the creation of his art might have had effects on them that he didn't anticipate. The performances are key to why "Sentimental Value" worked for me while many similar films did not. The parent-child dynamics between Gustav and Nora, and Gustav and Agnes feel genuine in their complexity, even if the specifics are unfamiliar. Gustav's urge to create and collaborate is expressed wonderfully, as well his attempts to try and compromise for the sake of his loved ones.
"Sentimental Value" is not a film that I'd seek out if it weren't for the awards buzz and Joachim Trier's involvement. I found it very sweet, very personal, and more uplifting than I expected from a Scandinavian family drama, especially from this director. I'm used to his films being far more emotionally fraught, and was a little caught off guard by how gentle and approachable this one was. Reinsve and Skarsgård absolutely deserve all of the awards and kudos they've been getting, and I hope that both continue to work with Trier in the future.
On to "Blue Moon," a film that I had no real expectations for. It's about Lorenz Hart, played by Ethan Hawke, the lyricist who was half of the famous Rodgers and Hart songwriting duo that wrote the song "Blue Moon" among others. The movie takes place in 1943, specifically the opening night for "Oklahoma!" the smash hit musical that Richard Rodgers (Andrew Scott) has created with a different lyricist, Oscar Hammerstein II (Simon Delaney). Hart knows that he's being left behind, and spends an eventful evening at Sardi's, the famous Manhattan Theater District restaurant, gabbing with the bartender Eddie (Bobby Cannavale), wooing his latest object of affection, the much younger Elizabeth Weiland (Margaret Qualley), and watching the success of "Oklahoma!" unfold.
"Blue Moon" is a very small film, with really only one major location. It does that awful thing that biopics do, where other famous names keep dropping in, and you find out that a minor character is somebody who's going to be a big deal a few decades in the future. However, it has a script by Robert Kaplow that is wonderfully funny and full of clever wordplay. Linklater's direction is nothing fancy, but holds plenty of appeal. And "Blue Moon" also has one of the best performances of Ethan Hawke's whole career. He plays Lorenz Hart at a low point - aging, balding, barely keeping his substance abuse issues at bay, and absolutely seething with resentment and jealousy about Rodgers' new success. As someone who doesn't care much for "Oklahoma!" I was on his side almost immediately, listening to him grouse about the musical's obvious shortcomings. Hawke has never looked worse on screen, and he made "The Lowdown" this year. However, Hawke as Hart is also charming, engaging, and full of passions and yearnings he aches to express. He chatters endlessly, revealing some surprising sides of himself as the evening goes on.
There's a slightness and a stageyness to "Blue Moon" that's keeping it off my list of favorites for the year, but I think that suits the film. It's one rough evening in the life of a fascinating character, who tells some anecdotes, has a few fateful encounters, and imparts one or two life lessons before disappearing into the mists of theatrical history. It doesn't need to be more than exactly what it is, silly cameos and all. I enjoyed it very much.
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