Basic human values laid bare - for those with the time and inclination to explore them.

Rating: 8/10 (8 November 2006)

A slightly narratively-divided tale of how America was torn apart by civil war using the device of two people (Inman and Ada) that want to be together despite all that has happened.
This is a classic case of a movie which you can either get inside and consider a minor classic (as I do) or one that you get left outside of. In which case you may well use puns based on the word "cold". I think the IMDb reviews reflect that.
What is amazing is that some of the serious UK press gave this a drubbing and the kind of ratings you would expect for X Men 13. If cinema is going to be a serious art form then it needs movies like this. Big money has been spent on what might be (crudely) called quality art-house with mainstream players.
Not that it is perfect: Anthony Minghella has a tendency to spend a long time emoting and explaining when the actions and motives of the main players are already clear. War is hell and being on the losing side of a war is an even greater hell. Like Francis Ford Copolla - he tends to linger on a scene long after a point has been made or an action has occurred.
America has never looked kindly at country people. It has a culture that is urban based and urban-basting. In cinema often a bunch of inbreed hillbillies that cannot be trusted. Growing food will never be hip and trendy and let's not pretend there is any chance of a makeover. The historical nature of this production doesn't change a thing.
The concept of lovers torn apart (by war) is not new, nor is strong women that can cope on their own. There is plenty of cod drama here (fights, war, chase, capture, life-and-death struggles, etc.) but it has a proper setting. Tragic scenes are followed by happy scenes - because that is how life is and was.
I thought all the main players were good. Nicole Kidman might have been a bit too pretty and made up at times and Renee Zellweger a bit over-the-top crude, but they worked well off each other. Jude Law has the kind of face (and hollow look) that the camera can focus on for long periods without him doing a lot. He is almost in another movie as he tries to fight his way home.
Congratulations to Miramax for putting up so much money to make a risk piece - I hope you got your money back so you can invest it in more quality productions. Cinema that is worth the entrance money and that can send you away moved.