Sweet Land

Movie: Sweet Land

Like/Don't Like: Like

I usually can't remember how I hear about things. Especially the obscure movies and albums I come across. A good guess would be NPR but that's not always the case. Take for instance Sweet Land. I'm pretty sure it wasn't NPR so maybe it was the newspaper, or the radio. I don't remember seeing a single ad for it when it was out and I really have no idea how it ended up on my Netflix queue (is anyone else thrown by the spelling of queue? It gets me every time.) Regardless, it came months ago, I think during my stint with Maynard, and because I was so busy letting him outside to not pee I didn't have time to watch it then. I also didn't have much time to watch it in between my job with Maynard and my job at the Duke's. And when I left for the Duke's I thought I should probably take it with me, but by that point it was lost somewhere on my desk, which NASA has categorized as a black hole.

Well, I found it last night and decided that it was about time I watched it. And now a list of pros and cons:

Pros

1.) Gorgeous! It was beautifully filmed. Long shots of blue skies and corn fields. Is Minnesota really that beautiful? I would be tempted to move there if I didn't know that the entire state is buried under ice for half the year. Don't try and trick me Minnesota, with your pretty landscape!

2.) Sentimental without making me want to gag. Like Sarah Big and Small, I mean Plain and Tall. Same premise too. Strong willed mail order bride comes to a farm and helps out.

3.) Ah, romance. I'm a sucker for romantic movies and this was a good one.

4.) It was a solid story. Very simple and no surprises but it's nice for the soul to see good people working hard and doing the right thing.

Cons

1.) Alan Cummings hair. It was the exact same hair that he had in Circle of Friends and Emma. Greasy and floppy.

2.) And this is the big one. If you are a director and you've already made a rather sentimental romantic movie you have to be aware that a kiss between the two leads is the only appropriate ending. If you don't have them kiss at the end then the past two hours filled with longing looks and smoldering gazes and scene wherein the girl teaches the guy to dance just makes you a tease and a flirt. You have to have them kiss!

I'm not raving about it but if you're in the mood for a good love story with no kissing at the end then pick it up.