Did the Cannes Film Festival save the best for last? Norwegian Joachim Trier is one of the last directors to premiere in its main competition this year, but he’s getting rave reactions for the film, Sentimental Value, starring Stellan Skarsgård, Elle Fanning, and Trier’s longtime actor collaborator, Renate Reinsve. The film about a fractured Norwegian family is now a favourite to take the coveted Palme d’Or prize.
Actor Stellan Skarsgård had a hoarse voice at the press conference for the film, which he attributed to the post-premiere party the night before. The cast and crew had every right to celebrate – the film received a 15-minute standing ovation at its world premiere, the longest the festival audience has delivered to any film in competition this year so far. For comparison, even Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite, which went on to win the Palme and four Oscars, only got eight minutes.
If applause was a barometer for what might win at Cannes, this would make Sentimental Value the clear frontrunner, although the decision ultimately lies with the 2025 International Jury and its president, Juliette Binoche. But the film also has the potential, like last year’s top prize-winner, Sean Baker’s Anora, to hit the sweet spot between auteur cinema, commercial viability, and attracting Gen Z to cinemas. Elle Fanning appeared at the press conference wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with “Joachim Trier Summer”, a nod to Charli XCX’s Coachella set shout-out to the director, in which Trier’s name appeared alongside other artists, of whom Charli declared 2025 would be their summer.