Sentimental Values has been praised left and right as a masterpiece, but for me it lands more in the category of "good, but not great." It's beautifully made, with a strong pace, a well-crafted script and strong acting, giving the story authenticity and emotional weight from beginning to end.
One thing I really appreciated is that the film never feels over-explanatory. It trusts the audience to think, to connect what was said earlier with what's happening later, and to piece things together on their own. That kind of narrative confidence is rare, and it makes the film feel smart without being showy.
The film is also filled with references. Some subtle, some more obvious, that adds an extra layer for those who like to dissect details. It rewards attentive viewers, though at times it felt like the references were more about signaling cleverness than adding actual value to the story.
And yet, when it was over, I wasn't left with much. Despite having a personal connection to the father-child themes it explores, it didn't resonate with me in the way I expected. The structure is clever, the craft is solid, the references are plentiful, but the emotional impact fell short for me.
In the end, Sentimental Values is a finely built film with a lot of strengths, and it's certainly worth watching. But calling it a masterpiece feels like overselling it, at least from where I'm sitting.
