Sweet Land

A simple but heartwarming period piece, first-time director Ali Selim's Sweet Land transpires over three different time periods, with the primary thread set in 1919, when a young woman named Inge (Elizabeth Reaser)—who speaks little English—arrives in Minnesota to marry bachelor farmer Olaf (Tim Guinee) in a match arranged by long distance. Unfortunately, Inge is not only German but also has a socialist background—which complicates her attempt to gain legal status in the years immediately following World War I and causes her to be shunned by members of the close-knit Norwegian immigrant community. The main story simply details how Inge gradually wins people over, including the man she's come to wed. The narrative decision to shuffle time frames—with one thread finding the heroine at an advanced age having to confront the death of her husband, and another in which their grandson is faced with the decision whether to sell the family farm—ultimately seem ill-advised, but the likable cast (which also includes Alan Cumming, Ned Beatty, and John Heard) provides ample compensation, and the film deals with profound themes of tolerance, family, and tradition, for the most part with an admirable lightness of touch. A generous, sweet-natured portrait of a time past that that never slides into overt sentimentality or clumsy didacticism, this is recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary (by costars Tim Guinee and Elizabeth Reaser, editor James Stanger, producer Gil Bellows, and writer-director Ali Selim), a “Sweet Land: A Labor of Love Story” behind-the-scenes featurette (11 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a sweet movie.] (F. Swietek)