My vote goes to Sweet Land, a little jewel of a film that was filmed right here in Minnesota (near Montevideo). It's a touching, personal film about Norwegian immigrant farmers carving out a life for themselves in the years just after World War I. And it's a beautiful film, with many shots drinking in the gorgeous, green western Minnesota landscape.
I saw Sweet Land here in October, shortly after it opened on only a few screens, and its release is slowly expanding nationwide. If it's in your town, check it out. (Here in the Twin Cities, it's at the Grandview in St. Paul, the Muller theaters in Rogers, the Mann in St. Louis Park and the Chaska Cinema. In Milwaukee, it's coming back to the Times Cinema next month.)There were no Oscar nominations for Sweet Land, but it is up for two Independent Spirit Awards -- best first-time feature for director Ali Selim and best lead actress for Elizabeth Reaser. The Spirit Awards air Feb. 24, the night before the Oscars, on IFC.
And Reaser, by the way, guest-starred on last night's Grey's Anatomy -- although she was tough to recognize under all that latex.
1 comment:
I agree with you, Casey. "Sweet Land" made me think about my grandparents living in rural North Dakota. It must have been quite a life. The movie was one of the best I have seen this year. It proves that you can make a movie without profanity and nudity and still be successful.
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