SCREEN

It's a chaste, PG-rated love story, told mostly in flashbacks to rural Minnesota in 1920, when German immigrant Inge (Reaser) shows up as a mail-order bride for farmer Olaf (Guinee), himself a Norwegian transplant. Speaking barely a word of English, Inge initially bonds better with Olaf's buddy Frandsen (Cumming, playing effectively against type) than her scowling, quiet husband-to-be. But their initial lack of chemistry is soon a secondary concern to the unwillingness of the local minister (Heard) to perform a marriage ceremony for a German, whom he sees as a dangerous outsider given the recently concluded war with her country.

The movie is as much about Inge and Olaf's growing bond as it is about the townspeople coming to accept this unfamiliar face despite their xenophobia; more than that, Sweet Land is a paean to the simple farming life. The main story is bookended by segments taking place right after both Olaf and Inge, respectively, have died, each focused on their love of the land and connection to it. Writer-director Selim, a Minnesota native, clearly has great love for his home state, and cinematographer David Tumblety shoots the countryside to make it look like the most appealing place in the world, and its people the most humble and friendly.

They're also some of the most predictable, and Olaf's neighbors' journey of tolerance (complete with an evil banker played by Ned Beatty) is a bit heavy-handed. Reaser and Guinee make for a wonderful couple, though, and Selim tackles their story with respect and openness. The whole film is subdued and authentic and, well, just plain sweet.