weird zellweger

Rating: Null/10 (5 February 2008)

Anthony Minghella seems to have cornered the market in slow, overlong period flicks - with The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and now Cold Mountain providing ample evidence of this. Despite some admittedly impressive visuals (thanks to cinematographer John Seale), Cold Mountain never quite manages to engage the viewer - primarily due to an abundance of characters and a few too many pointless subplots. The story, set during the American Civil War, follows a soldier named Inman (Jude Law) as he attempts to return home to his sweetheart, Ada (Nicole Kidman). It's a decent setup that is diluted and eventually destroyed by Minghella's refusal to remain focused on the two characters; this is exemplified by the presence of Ray Winstone's Teague and his ridiculously evil posse, who appear to have been included for the sole purpose of forcing Inman into a showdown at the film's close. Law is very good in the central role, while the continuous cavalcade of stars eventually becomes distracting - though Natalie Portman briefly injects some life into the film with her turn as a single mom. As for Oscar winner Renée Zellweger, the actress seems to be channeling Yosemite Sam here - a bizarre choice that is kind of entertaining, but ultimately jarring and out-of-place. Finally, there's the ending, which is deeply unsatisfying in so many ways - further cementing Cold Mountain's status as an ill-advised adaptation (Charles Frazier's Pulitzer Prize winning novel must be better than this).