A Review of Cold Mountain

Rating: 9/10 (3 January 2004)

*Slight spoilers but if any one has read a review of this film, they will probably know them all ready*
Synopsis: Cold Mountain tells the story of Inman (Jude Law), a wounded Confederate soldier fighting in the American Civil War, and his journey home to meet his love, Ada (Nicole Kidman). Meanwhile, Ada is struggling to maintain her father's farm since he passed away. That is , until farm hand Ruby Thewes (Renee Zellwger) comes along.
Many people have dismissed Cold Mountain as being boring and too romantic. Just because it is not an 'indie' film, it has rescieved mixed reviews. In fact, it is an excellent example of an epic and it is easy to see why the all star cast chose to star in this movie. It features drama, comedy, action and romance and is a movie and is a movie most people can enjoy.
Inman's journey is similar to Homer's Oddysey and the colourful cast of characters he meets along the way are almost as interesting as the three leads. Natalie Portman in particular shines as a young widow. The two plot threads, Inman's journey home and Ada maintaining the farm, could stand alone quite easily. As much I liked Inman's action-packed voyage back to Cold Mountain, I thought the scenes with Renee and Nicole were more enjoyable.
Ada loosing her reverend father, played by Donald Sutherland, is the first major emotional scene and it is done well without being cheesy. The introduction of Zellweger perks up the film. Her character is definatley the most interesting character and she is sure to win the Oscar this year. When first introduced, it is hard to understand her dialogue and it appears Zellweger is going for easy laughs by portraying stereotypes. Within about three minutes these thoughts are abolished and she helps to make the film more enjoyable. People who have seen it will know what I mean, especially on the 'bag of diamonds' scene. Ruby helps to make the emotional scenes less schmaltzy. Nicole portrays a subtle performance in Ada and proves once again why she is the greatest current actress in Hollywood. Ada's and Ruby's struggle to rebuild the farm complements Inman's chapters of the film.
Overall, Cold Mountain is a marvel in film making and is one of this years best films. The three leads are excellent, as are the supporting players and cameos. Cold Mountain is well directed and well made. My only fault is that it could have been edited slightly but the time passes quickly anyway. 9/10