Review of Sweet Land (2005) by J D — 08 Mar 2008
A friend of mine turned me on to this one during an impromptu college reunion, mostly recommending it because it was filmed near my old alma mater in St. Cloud, MN. So I initially rented it just out of curiosity, but this has become a personal favorite.
This is a slow, leisurely love story, perfectly mirroring the characters it's about, and also perfectly capturing Minnesota farm life in the early 20th century. This one's not about young passionate people yearning to break free; it's about a sturdy, dependable people, quiet and reserved, where love is an indulgence, where just quietly doing the right thing in the face of passive-aggressive community disapproval takes tremendous courage.
The relationship between the two leads reminds me a lot of that of the mother and father's in "The Namesake". Love is not defined by words but by deeds and character. While it lacks the smoldering passions of "The Notebook" (another great romantic film), this one is just as romantic, and maybe moreso, because it depicts a more realistic romantic love.
This review of Sweet Land (2005) was written by J D on 08 Mar 2008.
Sweet Land has generally received positive reviews.
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