Sentimental Value

Director: Joachim Trier
Starring: Renate Reinsve, Stellan Skarsgård, Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Elle Fanning, Anders Danielsen Lie, Jesper Chistiansen, Lena Endre, Cory Michael Smith, Catherine Cohen, Andreas Stoltenberg Granerud, Øyvind Hesjedal Loven, Lars Väringer, Ida Marianne Vassbotn Klasson 
Running Time: 133 min.
Rating: R

★★★ (out of ★★★★)  

Early in Joachim Trier's Norwegian Oscar winner Sentimental Value, the main character suffers a debilitating bout of stage fright, and judging from the reactions of those closest to her, they've seen this before. Eventually, she'll power through, but with barely a second to spare as the cast and crew anxiously wait on pins and needles. Of course, such panic ridden episodes often have nothing to do with how well an actor knows their lines or skill level, but whatever else is going through their mind at the moment, which usually includes a few nightmarish scenarios related to failure and insecurity. 

While those intrusive thoughts may be fleeting, they're no less paralyzing, and from what we can tell from the protagonist's unusual coping mechanisms, there's a lot more happening underneath. Trier and co-writer Eskil Vogt reveal what as the narrative zigs and zags, hitting occasional lulls before arriving at its inevitable, but still moving conclusion. As a small scale relationship drama about intergenerational trauma, it doesn't exactly break new ground, but the performances and pangs of missed opportunities and regret strongly resonate, echoing through the walls of this family's home.

Respected film director Gustav Borg (Stellan Skarsgård) is in a slump, struggling to get his latest projects financed when he completes a script inspired by his mother Karin, who was tortured by Nazis before eventually committing suicide in their Oslo home when he was a child. It's also the same house his two daughters Nora (Renate Reinsve) and Agnes (Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas) were raised in by their therapist mom after he left Norway following their divorce. Now as adults, Nora is a successful stage actress having an affair with a colleague while sister Agnes is a married historian raising young son Erik (Øyvind Hesjedal Loven) with her husband.  

When Nora and Agnes's mother dies, Gustav unexpectedly returns to Norway to reclaim the house despite the lingering resentment from his daughters. That's especially true for Nora, who refuses to read Gustav's new script, rejecting the idea of her playing his mother. Disappointed, Gustav instead casts popular American actress Rachel Kemp (Elle Fanning) whose star power helps secure the film a Netflix deal. While seemingly up for this challenge, the role proves more difficult than Rachel envisioned, with Gustav clumsily using the movie as a vehicle to compensate for his own shortcomings as a father. But when actually faced with taking responsibility and connecting with both his daughters, he risks losing them for good. 

Jumping back and forth through time between the sisters' childhood, Gustav's and the present day, the house takes on a life of its own, becoming as much a character as its occupants, mainly due to all the memories forged inside. This isn't lost on Gustav, whose big plans involve filming there with Nora as his lead. But we can tell the very thought of working alongside him disgusts her, as she doubts he'll be able to effectively communicate any better on set than in real life. 

Nora sees right through Gustav's intentions, which involve casting her to make up for years of  abandonment, alcohol abuse and emotional inaccessibility. And if even her mother's recent death can't bring them any closer, nothing will, much less a vanity project at the end of a career he prioritized over them. 

While Nora's understandably hard headed about reaching a compromise, Agnes implores her to at least keep an open mind, even if Gustav does himself a disservice by bombarding Nora with backhanded compliments about how her talent's wasted on the stage. Having starred in her father's most acclaimed film as a young girl, Agnes can relate, despite seemingly emerging from their tumultuous past better adjusted than her sister, though not without some lingering scars.

Gutav's determination to get his film made with or without Nora leads him to cast Rachel, the young ingenue impressed by his work and looking to prove herself. But she's also all wrong for a role written for someone else and one of the plot's best aspects is how Gustav refuses to see that, supporting and nurturing Rachel in a way he never did his daughters. Unfortunately, he won't be able to repair the real relationship with someone else playing pretend for him, no matter how good an actress she is or isn't. 

Fanning has a tricky job in that she's called upon to have Rachel recognize the misguided futility of Gustav's experiment. It's also very meta in the sense that she's heavily pulling from experiences performers have when stuck in parts they feel ill suited for, digging deep and pulling at every thread to make it work. She's scared to death of screwing up, which could be viewed as mirroring Nora's stage fright, though in a slightly different context.  

Thes rehearsal scenes are among the film's best as we watch Gustav guide Rachel through a process that just isn't clicking, but not from a lack of effort. Whether Rachel's even talented is irrelevant since the film's more interested in giving her credit for recognizing what Gustav can't, or doesn't want to. She knows who should really be playing this part.                          

Skarsgård and Reinsve hold this together as we wait to see if the internally troubled Gustav has an epiphany or Nora lets her guard down long enough to realize his movie's an apology, if not also a cry for help. And while the remarkable Reinsve unquestionably carries this, Lilleas's slowly evolving turn as Agnes gradually sneaks up on you, with Skarsgård delivering subtle, understated work as his character struggles to make headway with his daughters. 

Both sisters carry decades worth of familial dysfunction, but one clearly feels the brunt, especially when her father's recent return reinforces just how raw a deal she got. But at the story's crux are complicated emotions and a shared history that somberly bubbles to the surface in its closing minutes, quietly subverting expectations right up until the final reveal.

Five Nights at Freddy's 2

Director: Emma Tammi
Starring: Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail, Piper Rubio, Freddy Carter, Theodus Crane, Wayne Knight, Mckenna Grace, Teo Briones, Skeet Ulrich, Matthew Lillard, Miriam Spumpkin, Audrey Lynn Marie, Megan Fox, Kellen Goff, Matthew Patrick, David Andrew Calvillo, Grant Feely
Running Time: 104 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★★ (out of ★★★★)   

When the heavily anticipated adaptation of Scott Cawthon's popular video game series, Five Nights at Freddy's hit theaters in 2023, critics and audiences were noticeably split. While the former group seemed appalled they had to sit through PG-13 horror centered around killer animatronic animals, the franchise's fans responded far more favorably, aware of what they'd be getting. If anything, director Emma Tammi incorporated enough elements from the game to please hardcores without alienating mainstream audiences completely unfamiliar with the property, but hooked by its strange premise. 

If the first film was enjoyably flawed and crazy, it shouldn't have come as a total surprise given the nature of this material. But aside from the robotic creatures and an inspired setting, one of its better qualities came in knowing that an 'R' rating wouldn't have necessarily made a difference. Nothing felt cut or excised for commercial-friendly concerns as Tammi delivered an engaging adventure just gory enough to match the story. So you could say it's good news she's back to helm this inevitable sequel, which delivers much of the same, only bigger and messier.   

It's 2002 and two years since Mike (Josh Hutcherson), his little sister Abby (Piper Rubio) and police officer Vanessa Shelly (Elizabeth Lail) survived their showdown with Vanessa's dad and child murderer William Afton (Matthew Lillard) at the abandoned Freddy Fazbear's Pizza restaurant. Since being killed by the spirits of his victims, the legend of Afton's murders has only grown, drawing greater attention to the case and spawning a town horror festival called "Fazfest." But as a now 11-year-old Abby experiences newfound popularity at school, she still mourns the loss of her electronic animal pals Freddy, Chica and Bonnie. 

Giving Abby false hope he'll eventually repair the robots, Mike urges everyone to put what happened behind them, including Vanessa, who continues to emotionally struggle from the impact of her father's crimes. But while Abby secretly returns to the restaurant despite her brother's warnings, a group of ghost hunters arrive at a different nearby Fazbear's location where a little girl named Charlotte Emily (Audrey Lynn Marie) was shockingly murdered in 1982. And when the crew's presence awakens her spirit, the truth about how she's connected to Vanessa comes to light, putting her and Mike in a race against time to save a manipulated Abby, whose resurrected robot friends are ready for another rampage.

The film's opening sequence might be its best, flashing back to a packed, fully operational Freddy Fazbear's during a birthday party decades earlier, revealing what the franchise restaurant looked and felt like in its heyday. After initially assuming this is the now abandoned building Mike worked in as a security guard, we soon realize it's a different location, with atmosphere and attractions unique to that flagship eatery, like the Marionette, a terrifying animatronic conducting the robot animals on stage. 

Baring more than a passing resemblance to Saw's Billy the Puppet, the Marionette is a major presence when young Charlotte is slain despite all her warnings to the restaurant's oblivious, self-absorbed parents. And Vanessa's childhood friendship with this ostracized girl ends up being one of many important details she neglects mentioning to a frustrated Mike as the pair reluctantly start dating. 

Vanessa's selective secrecy, Abby's desire to reunite with Freddy and the gang despite previous events and the use of wireless technology in '82 are hurdles Cawthorne's script must clear, but instead conveniently glazes over at times. Thankfully the ghost hunting "Spectral Scoopers" (played by Mckenna Grace, Teo Briones and David Andrew Calvillo ) do serve a larger purpose while Freddy Carver's brief but creepy turn as a Norman Bates-like security guard proves a highlight. 

Seinfeld and Jurassic Park star Wayne Knight gives the film's most wildly entertaining performance as Abby's condescendingly cruel science teacher Mr. Berg. And the ubiquitous character actor hasn't lost a step, chewing scenery as a jerk authority figure that could have stepped out of an 80's comedy. More than anyone, Knight knows exactly what kind of movie he's in as we wait anxiously to see this sniveling coward get his when Abby proudly unveils her unusual robotics project. 

It's no surprise when Freddy and his friends are again on the loose, but with a soul possessing component that changes the game, giving Elizabeth Lail more interesting places to go with Vanessa. But while she still reels from PTSD stemming from her psychopathic dad, Hutcherson's Mike is fed up, burying the pain and wanting everyone to follow suit, even if he's just barely holding on. And Rubio continues to shine as the precocious Abby, whose loyalty to Chica leads to trouble.  

Playing on a similar technical and visual playing ground as its predecessor, the secondary Fazbear's location actually surpasses that with its hidden passages, trap doors and waterways. Those who hated the first film will probably still despise this, but for everyone else, it's equally fun, giving us an expanded look at the nostalgically cursed Chuck E. Cheese inspired restaurant of the film's title. With allusions to ME3GAN, The Exorcist and Saw, it may incorporate a few more influences, but remains heavily indebted to the video games that spawned it, ensuring more sequels where this came from. 

Rental Family

Director: Hikari
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Takehiro Hira, Mari Yamamoto, Shannon Mahina Gorman, Akira Emoto, Kimura Bun, Sei Matobu, Misato Morita, Tamae Ando
Running Time: 110 min.
Rating: PG-13

★★★ ½ (out of ★★★★)   

Rental Family features a fascinating premise that takes a bit to come completely into view, but once it does, the film starts asking the same questions we do, with surprising answers. It also provides further proof that the Brendan Fraser comeback is still in full effect, with the actor tackling exactly the type of role we hoped he would post-Oscar win. His likability and charisma makes him the ideal foil for an unusual concept that's even easier to envision as a series with a creative lifespan longer than this picture's designated run time.  

If there's a complaint you could level, it's that there's no way to explore every moral and philosophical consequence of the title service, which does actually exist. But director/co-writer Hikari nearly covers all those bases with characters aren't who they say or think they are, creating their own distorted realities in a misguided attempt to protect those closest to them. And by facilitating lies that cause more harm than the truth ever could, the profiting company proves how the road to hell can really be paved with good intentions. We cringe as manipulative machinations meant to provide comfort cross a line our good natured protagonist grows increasingly uncomfortable with.   

Struggling American actor Phillip Vanderploeg (Fraser) is looking for work while living in Tokyo, where he's resided since starring in a popular toothpaste commercial seven years earlier. Taking thankless roles as he waits for a bigger break, he's approached by Shinji (Takehiro Hira), who owns "Rental Family," a company that hires actors to play stand-in family members and friends for prospective clients. In Phillip, Shinji sees a white American capable of filling a specific niche, and however uneasy the unsuspecting applicant feels about the gig, it's still money.

After a rough first assignment, Phillip's next hired to act as the estranged father of young, half-Japanese girl Mia (Shannon Mahina Gorman), whose single mother Hitomi (Shino Shinozaki) needs him to get her enrolled in a prestigious private school. He'll also split his time as a journalist profiling Kikuo Hasegawa (Akira Emoto), a retired actor with dementia whose daughter Masami (Sei Matobu) wants him interviewed before he completely loses his memory. As Philip forges a bond with each, he realizes how a thin a line he's walking with their emotions, while also recognizing there's a lot left to understand about a culture he already assumed to know. But ultimately, they'll have just as much to learn from him.

Just the thought of a film centered around an American actor doing commercials in Japan immediately invokes comparisons to Bill Murray's character in 2003's Lost in Translation. But the difference is that starring in these ads isn't quite the punchline it was then, with many respected, big name actors now taking these jobs as a side hustle to bank supplemental earnings. Only Phillip isn't one of them, as we quickly get the impression that's his primary source of income and opportunities are drying up, causing shame and frustration.  

Similar to Murray, but less cranky, Fraser excels at conveying that sense of depressive dislocation that takes hold when you're living in another country, or even just in different surroundings. And he does it by subtly projecting in Phillip the awkward look and feel of someone who arrived the previous day rather than seven years ago. So it's easy to see how this unusual job offer would pique his curiosity, allowing him to perform and connect with people who just want to be seen. 

Early on, Rental Family employee Aiko (Mari Yamamoto) shares with Phillip why she does this, rationalizing that it fills an important void for sad, desperate clients while allowing the performers to feel needed in return. On the surface it almost makes sense, but those words will come back to bite her and company owner Shinji, who's living a lie of his own, until the bottom falls out, with damage far exceeding both their pay grades. And much of that is due to Phillip, who's justifiably unable to separate himself from these extremely personal assignments. 

Optimistically hoping to make a difference and for these clients to appreciate him in return, Phillip gets the hang of it when playing groom to a closeted lesbian with traditional, controlling parents who's looking to secretly run away with her wife. But the company's real purpose, aside from making money, comes in enabling people to circumvent tough, necessary decisions by introducing giant lies that bury their problems. And it's only when the facade comes tumbling down that Hikari and co-writer Stephen Blahut's script can fully explore the messy truth. 

While the film's trailers and commercials imply that everything revolves around Phillip's relationship with young Mia, what's most remarkable is how Fraser and a precociously superb Gorman convey their naturalistic father-daughter dynamic with far fewer scenes together than expected. And yet there's this real arc that develops as Mia slowly warms up to the idea her "biological father" may be sticking around this time. 

By hiring Phillip to give Mia some semblance of an adult male figure in her life, the mom's clearly playing with fire. Even worse, he'll inevitably be blamed for whatever goes wrong, even when doing exactly what he's hired for. But the bigger issue is what becomes of Mia once he leaves or if she somehow finds out the truth. It's one thing pulling the wool over unsuspecting adult eyes, but toying with a child's emotions enters unconscionable territory, regardless of intent. 

An equally serious set of challenges accompany Phillip's friendship with the elderly Kikuo, most of which involve boundaries related to his health and care. It's another delicate issue this flawed company can't navigate, with the heat again falling on the one person too empathetic to treat this as a mere performance. At first, we're left guessing how this secondary sub-plot ties into the A-storyline, wondering if the film's time would be better spent focusing exclusively on Phillip's bond with Mia. But we're proven wrong as a moving sacrifice involving Kikuo becomes major catalyst for what occurs in the final act.  

The ending is notable for its restraint, as both Rental Family's clients and employees must come to the realization that this system is delivering the polar opposite of what's promised, hurting nearly everyone in the process. They may not know how absurd their behavior is, but the film does, culminating in a moving catharsis full of surprisingly logical twists that reveal both the best and worst in humanity. That Hikari accomplishes this without pouring on the schmaltz can be attributed to her deft touch, but also Fraser's earnestness, which has rarely served him better.