Great Movie

Rating: 10/10 (1 August 2005)

This movie was good because of how it portrayed the Civil War, it wasn't boring at all. But I love it because of the way the actors portrayed their characters. Renee Zellweger was by far the star of the movie, stealing the show. Even though she is a supporting role, she plays Ruby so well, and she makes Ruby seem so real. Renee takes Ruby to so many different places in the movie. She makes Ruby a fighter at times, such as when she is kicking her father or swearing at him;and she is not afraid to make Ruby seem bossy, like when she is telling Ada all the farm chores that need to be done. She is not afraid to make Ruby seem ignorant, like when she does not understand why Ada cannot do all of the things she can. Not afraid to make her seem frightened, like when they rescue Sally; and Renee was not afraid to show Ruby's soft side, to break down all of the toughness surrounding her, such as when she starts to cry during the sequence when she tells Ada that she has "big plans for that farm" after Inman comes because she is afraid she is going to be made to leave; or when she starts to become emotional during her "cloud over the land" monologue. Renee had only played a suicidal woman, a thriller role, and several comedy roles before, and I think that this role is her most versatile and complex role yet. This is proved, since Renee won an Oscar for best supporting actress for "Cold Mountain" in the role of Ruby Thewes. She also pulled off a Southern accent perfectly. Nicole Kidman and Jude Law also did very well in their roles, and made their characters seem real. I don't think Nicole and Jude had that great of chemistry between them (maybe because of the age difference, Nicole=38, Jude=33)but they managed to make that seem not too apparent. This is a great film for someone looking to learn more about times of the Civil War, or for someone that just wants a good romance/action/drama/adventure flick. 10/10! :)