Altogether absorbing and unique, with a beautiful,
handmade look and the director's darting, probing
curiosity on display in every frame....Although the films
theme - names - seems at the outset fairly modest, by
the end, Berliner has applied the pressure of his
intelligence and imagination and made it accordion out
into something grander: a meditation on ego and memory,
being and nothingness, inscribed on a grain of rice.

Adina Hoffman
The Jerusalem Post



"... an excellent film... a classic example of what
eccentric, heavily authored documentary making is
all about... a quirky, progressively involving
investigation into the meanings, both etymological
and cultural of names...and the crucial importance of
names within the increasingly cacophonous
babble of modern urban existence."

Lisa Mullen Time Out, London



"Woven throughout his own witty and...personal
observations are intriguing snippets of information...
and a more universal essay on the power of names
to evoke identity, temperament, and history."

Ann Hornaday
Los Angeles Times



"In what could have turned out to be the ultimate
act of narcissism, Alan Berliner has made a
fascinating...wry, contemplative, brilliantly
edited cine-essay... exploring the origins, metaphysics
and psychological implications of names....(an) original,
provocative and deeply satisfying movie..."

Joel E. Siegel
Washington DC CityPaper



"...a cinematic meditation and visual, aural,
intellectual and philosophical speculation... the film
is charming and brilliant... a beautifully constructed
work in which every element is carefully
considered and gracefully executed...funny
and wise and provocative."

Louis Black
Austin Chronicle



"Bringing together the many distinctive and
virtuoso techniques developed in his previous films
and installations -- flashing imagery, ingenious meshes
of sound and picture, wonderful archival and found
footage - and his keen eye for the story-making detail,
(Berliner) has painstakingly assembled a film that will
leave you thinking differently about who you are..."

Taos Talking Pictures



"Insightful, hilarious, silly and slightly alarming...
The Sweetest Sound is a feast of oddball trivia, engaging
personalities and rhythmical visual imagery."

Hollis Chacona
Austin Chronicle Online



"Year End Top Ten List"
Alison Macor
Austin American Statesman
December 2001