Elle Fanning reveals the “meta-ness” of filming Sentimental Value as it mirrored real-life

by

Elle Fanning plays Rachel Kemp, a young actress, in Joachim Trier’s latest movie, Sentimental Value. The film follows Rachel as she goes to Norway to work on a project with a well-respected Scandinavian director.

Considering that Dakota Fanning, the actress playing the role, was herself traveling to Norway for the first time to work with a well-respected Scandinavian director on a new movie, it’s easy to see how her personal experience mirrors that of her character.

Want to see this content?

We can’t display this content because of a security check from Google reCAPTCHA. To see it, please sign out of your Contentpass account.

When I’m acting, I realize it’s still me up there, so I think I naturally bring in things from my own life and experiences without even realizing it.

I usually keep my personal and professional life separate, but Rachel was experiencing emotions that I could relate to – though maybe not as intensely as she was. It was hard not to notice the parallels between her situation and my own experience as an American actress working in Norway with a Norwegian director for the first time. It felt like there was a deeper connection between what we were both going through.

It all unfolded as we filmed, so it was impossible not to incorporate some of what was happening into the character. But even so, I believe she’s still very distinct from who I am.

In the film, Fanning’s character works with Gustav Borg, a formerly famous director brought to life by Stellan Skarsgård in a critically acclaimed performance that has earned him Oscar buzz.

Skarsgård has said he didn’t want to base his character too heavily on any director he’s previously worked with, but he did find certain parts of the role relatable to his own experiences as Gustav.

As an actor, I can portray anyone, really. The difficult part was the character’s generational difference – he felt like someone from the 20th century, even though we’re around the same age. Despite that, I was able to connect with him because I know people like that.

He went on to say that he especially connected with artists who struggle to balance their personal lives with their creative passions and the need to earn a living. He explained that for artists, it’s not just a job—it’s essential to who they are. If they can’t create, they feel like a part of themselves dies, and they’re never quite the same. But finding that balance can be really difficult.

The film explores how art can make it easier to express challenging or personal feelings compared to direct conversation, a concept that actor Skarsgård strongly connected with.

He agreed, adding that Joachim has a remarkable ability to portray complex emotions and experiences that are hard to put into words – those feelings you can only truly understand, not explain.

Sentimental Value is now showing in UK cinemas.

Authors

Patrick CremonaSenior Film Writer

Patrick Cremona writes about movies for TopMob, covering new releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. He’s been with the site since October 2019, and during that time, he’s interviewed many famous actors and reviewed films of all kinds.

  • Visit us on Twitter

Read More

2025-12-26 14:34