07/01/2026 first watch

It’s funny how I see Nora and Agnes’ parents as purely parents, but when thinking about Agnes I think of her as a person, who has a child. I guess it makes sense when you’re the person in that situation with your parents, who you’ve only know as parents but I feel like I also take the perspective of the people who are closest to me when watching films like this. 

Love the use of the house and its history - really love the use of the fireplace to listen downstairs, my favourite detail, it’s so spot on.

Anyone in this film could win an Oscar for their acting and it would be deserved - Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgärd somehow went beyond my expectations of them - best I’ve seen from both. Inga lbsdotter Lilleaas was equally as good though - could feel her presence in every scene she was in - I can’t describe it well but she just played that role and character so perfectly. Elle Fanning is great too. 

The conversation between Nora and Agnes when Agnes visits her later in the film is amazing. A sibling relationship has always been one of the most unique things because of this shared understanding and experience but I like how they point out it’s actually different experiences even of the same thing. Their relationship felt so true - from the way they interact at the wake all the way through - the familiarity, the knowing looks and communication, the reading of each other, so so well executed. I put myself there but also saw my mum and her sisters, especially in certain scenes, sometimes not even for content or context but just the physicality and roles of the relationship. 

Amongst all the heaviness and sadness, some of the funniest moments I’ve seen in a cinema for ages. The tone is balanced perfectly throughout. Joachim Trier gets better with every film I’ve seen of his - if the rest of the films I see this year can be as good as this, that would be ideal!

Labbi Siffre songs are made for closing a film.

12/01/2026 rewatch

Was sat refreshing my email all morning waiting for something that might never arrive, so thought fuck it, I’ll go see this again. Better use of a Monday afternoon for sure. 

Enjoyed it equally, maybe even slightly more on a rewatch. Certain parts were more moving to me this time, but maybe the funny parts weren’t quite as funny just because I knew they were coming, which is natural. I enjoyed watching with the knowledge that the script Gustav has written is more so about Nora than it is his mother too and that when he says to Rachel that the film is not about his mum, he’s not lying. 

My favourite scene on this watch and one of the parts that hit me more this time was, after Agnes has been to the library to read about Gustav’s mum, and she is then watching Gustav and Erik playing together outside. Her viewing Gustav as this 7 year old child, left to deal with something so impossible and he’s there playing and teaching her child and doing a great job at it in the moment, now as an older man. It’s like still seeing him as the person who had to overcome that and is here now, he’s so fucking resilient, despite his flaws. And when she hugs him towards the end of the scene it all just crashes on you - such a complex and beautiful relationship shown so well in a simple scene that’s been set up perfectly. “It might not be easy for him either” - Agnes says to Nora earlier in the film, before this moment and her empathy serves her well as she is concluding and acting in line with her later (deeper) understanding, when it might have felt easier to not sympathise with him. Just amazing writing all round and it doesn’t announce or overemphasise but it’s so layered throughout. 

Similarly a moment that got to me is, when Nora is visiting Agnes and Even and has just said goodnight to Erik, before appearing sadder and leaving. This scene then ends with Agnes responding to Even saying she thinks Nora is (just) lonely (as opposed to suicidal) and that it makes her sad. It cuts to black and then opens with Nora’s face, outside, looking fairly positive and walking towards the camera. It’s almost the same thing - this time purely from a viewer perspective, rather than directly through Agnes (as she’s not there for the second scene) - like you can just really admire Nora’s resilience. She’s out, she’s moving, she’s still doing life with a smile and it’s like she’s not going to stop trying, even after returning to feelings of sadness or loneliness, she is positive in her approach to a new day. Not that this is some crazy perspective, and perhaps part of the reason this one feels prominent is a it’s far more widely relatable, but in a film where there’s so much muddiness in the familial relationships and anger and flaws - I really like these moments where you can admire and connect and feel for both these characters individually. 

A third and final, smaller moment, which stood out was, when Nora is talking to Jakob after learning that he is getting a divorce and asks him, slightly uncomfortably, if it was anything to do with her - the speed at which she responds no in agreement after he says it wasn’t because of that felt kind of heartbreaking. To me, there is definitely a part of her that wants him to say yes it was because of her, but she is there, prepared to respond to the no so instantly as if the idea that she could matter and be that impactful shouldn’t be out in the world for any longer than it has to before returning to her reality that, that is not the role for her. The following scene is then even more of a gut punch, when, she quite courageously, tries to kiss Jakob when they are trailing behind the group walking through the woods and is hoping he will reciprocate, but he pulls back and is very reluctant to even interact properly. I found that sequence really sad - like the act of her firstly being so keen to agree in the downplay of her relevance and then secondly, you can imagine her kind of going back on forth in her mind in between the two scenes and then opting to just commit and almost think, I’ll act and behave the way I want this to go, and maybe, maybe it will just work and to approach it smiling and expectantly - it’s so human and crushing. I want to watch this again and again because I’m sure there are moments and scenes that haven’t struck me so far that will then become so emotive and I won’t know how I didn’t feel it as much before. The whole film is crafted really well and it gets better the more I think about it. 

I thought it already on first watch but this just emphasised how insanely good Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas performance is. Every single other actor is also flawless but to me the emotion of the film kind of runs through her and she’s just so genuine and captivating, even with such a grounded performance. I really hope she gets recognised for best supporting actress - I definitely need to watch more of the other things she has been in.

Cannock Chase very much in contention for the best song of all time.