Al Alexander The Patriot Ledger May 25, 2013 A-

Ali Selim's visual masterpiece recalls the stark artistry of Terrence Malick and Western lyricism of Larry McMurtry, as it turns every frame into a picture postcard of stunning beauty.

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Brian Orndorf BrianOrndorf.com Dec 28, 2009 A

Exceptionally photographed and remarkably performed by actors Tim Guinee and Elizabeth Reaser, Sweet Land is modest, but demonstrative, eager to detail a love story that sustains for a lifetime.

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Jennie Kermode Eye for Film Sep 15, 2008 3.5/5

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Larushka Ivan-Zadeh Metro Newspaper (UK) Sep 5, 2008 3/5

The flashback structure adds nothing but length to an already awkward mix of humanist-socialist parable and gently halting love story that's been sat on a shelf since 2005. But even so, it's a surprisingly sweet little treat.

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Anthony Quinn Independent (UK) Sep 5, 2008 4/5

At once epic and intimate, Sweet Land offers a stirring account of love and hardship which, aside from a muffed Capra moment towards the end, hardly puts a foot wrong.

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Martin Hoyle Financial Times Sep 5, 2008

Nostalgic, gentle, loving: the elegiac mood set against endless rural space inevitably suggests Malick's Days of Heaven. What next from this considerable talent?

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David Edwards Daily Mirror (UK) Sep 5, 2008 4/5

Our movie of the week - which isn't saying much - arrives in the shape of this atmospheric slice of Americana about an arranged marriage deep in the heart of rural Minnesota.

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Mike McCahill Daily Telegraph (UK) Sep 5, 2008 3/5

Pleasant surprise of the week, a US indie so unashamedly romantic about pie, cornfields, family and baseball you could be forgiven for thinking you were watching a Presidential campaign video.

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Peter Bradshaw Guardian Sep 5, 2008 2/5

Here is a nicely photographed, but bland, insipid and weirdly passive-aggressive little film.

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James Christopher The Times (UK) Sep 5, 2008 3/5

Minnesota between the wars is a bone yard for dreams, yet, like Babette's Feast, the film plucks a tiny miracle from stony ground.

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Daniel Etherington Film4 Sep 5, 2008 3.5/5

Sweet Land could have been mawkish and overly sentimental, but Selim has a light touch and the film is intelligent, sensitive and sweet.

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David Jenkins Time Out Sep 5, 2008 4/5

Echoing Malick's 'Days of Heaven' in the way it captures the majesty of the American countryside, this is a small gem that's worth seeking out.

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Matthew Turner ViewLondon Sep 4, 2008 4/5

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Jonathan Kiefer Sacramento News & Review Aug 7, 2008 4/5

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Prairie Miller WBAI Web Radio Jul 3, 2007

The son of an Egyptian immigrant, the Minnesota born Selim demonstrates a startling intimacy and empathy for his characters, but infuses his story with a candid tough love for their weaknesses.

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Brian Webster Apollo Guide Jul 2, 2007 63/100

Characters' motivations and behaviours wobble all over the map - even within single scenes - making for a profoundly frustrating and disappointing experience for viewers.

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Christopher Null Filmcritic.com Jun 23, 2007 3/5

It's not a film to watch when you're tired.

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Michael Sragow Baltimore Sun Jun 2, 2007 B-

Sweet Land isn't so silly as to say 'love conquers all', but it reminds us, sometimes ecstatically, that love can conquer a lot.

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Josh Bell Las Vegas Weekly Mar 16, 2007 3/5

An old-fashioned family drama masquerading as an art film.

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