A visually stunning film with a great score and solid performances

Rating: 9/10 (13 August 2005)

Minghella's cold mountain is a visually stunning and dramatically great film in adapting the famous Frazier novel. There are few films that one can say covered the task of adapting a novel into a screenplay and doing it well. I can say this about this film. The story is a bout a couple that is drawn apart because the man (Law) must go fight for the south in the civil war. The woman is left in "Cold Mountain" with no family and little friends. Nicole Kidman gives a solid performance as the woman while Jude Law was great as the man. THe film is well-acted for the most part. Most of the supporting actors are memorable in their short parts (especially Sutherland, P.S. Hoffman, and Giovani Ribisi). The film has a beautiful score and cinematography, the highlights for me. The story is good, although moving at a pretty slow pace, it is done well. Not one I can watch over and over, but enjoyed it a lot the first time