SUPRISINGLY WARM MOUNTAIN!

Rating: 8/10 (1 January 2004)

Cold Mountain is just full of suprises. I must say tht I did not completely enjoy this film. But I liked it alot. I found it to be very creative and involving. The love story aspect of the film isn't particularly invovlving but what the film does succeed at is showing the loss that war brings on. On all accounts, from loves to families to lands. The horror of war is very apparent in a film that fills it's moments with constantly changing charachters, weird humor, and a war torn land. Some of the suprise pop ups include Natalie Portman showing her acting chops, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, The sexy guy from 28 days later, the guy from the white stripes and etc. The real reason I went to see Cold Mountain is for Nicole Kidman and although her porcelain presence and timeless acting are just as good as ever. Her role just isn't enough to sustain a real powerful performance. However Renee Zellwegger is the extreme stand out performance, with a rocky sense of humor and times of melodramtic overacting she contains into a heartfelt performance. Hottie Jude Law also does a fine job showing his charachter's complexities as he goes from one emotion to another. From acceptance to despair, from love to hate. The film takes place during the last quarter of the civil war as Law and Kidman are seperated as he goes off to war. She longs for him as her father dies and he realizes the horrors of war. She tries to keep the farm in shape as the local villain tries to take it from her, and she slips into lonliness from having no one and nothing. The war takes it tolls on everyone and everything and Renee Zellwegger enters as a young hard working woman whom decides to help Kidman. The only strong chemistry is those formed from friendships. The kidman Law love triste lacks it but they certainly look great together. Making probably the most sexy couple on film of the year! Cold Mountain doesn't draw any real tears besides a watery eye it remains overly warm and even though it's quite depressing it manages to leave you in good reassuring spirits.