COLD MOUNTAIN

[thompsoncory]

"Come back to me"

http://imdb.com/Photos/Ss/0159365/1708.jpg

Written & Directed by: Anthony Minghella (The English Patient)

Plot Summary: "Cold Mountain" tells the story of a wounded Confederate soldier named Inman (Jude Law) who struggles on a perilous journey to get back home to Cold Mountain, N.C. as well as to Ada (Nicole Kidman), the woman he left behind before going off to fight in the Civil War. Along the way, he meets a long line of interesting and colorful characters, while back at home, Ada is learning the ropes of managing her deceased father's farm with Ruby (Renee Zellweger), a scrappy drifter who assists and teaches Ada along the way.

Starring: Jude Law (The Talented Mr. Ripley), Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge), Renee Zellweger (Chicago), Natalie Portman (Where The Heart Is), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Magnolia), Ray Winstone (Sexy Beast), Donald Sutherland (The Italian Job), Brendan Gleeson (Gangs Of New York), Giovanni Ribisi (The Other Sister), Kathy Baker (Edward Scissorhands), Charlie Hunnam (Abandon), Eileen Atkins (Gosford Park), Jena Malone (Life As A House), Ethan Suplee (John Q), Taryn Manning (8 Mile), Jack White (debut), Lucas Black (Sling Blade), Melora Walters (Matchstick Men)

Rated: R (for violence and sexuality)

Running Time: 2 hours 35 minutes

Release Date: December 25th, 2003

------------------

This looks fantastic and has an excellent ensemble cast. I'll try to see it in theaters.

[Moviefan1234]

I'd see any movie with a cast like that. The icing on the cake is how much the premise interests me. I'd be crazy not to want to see it.

[Fisting Ackbar]

I enjoyed Minghella's THE ENGLISH PATIENT and THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, so I'm definitely checking this out.

[blankpage]

Oscar bait , yes , great looking film, yes.

[Strider]

It does look like a good film, but certainly not a great one. However, I'll be seeing "Cold Mountain" nonetheless. The cast looks terrific, and I'm a sucker for any film that's set in the Civil War era.

[ilovemovies]

I think this movie looks fantastic. I can't wait to see it.

[Ed]

omg! what a fucking cast! they should show more of it on the tv spots because imo the ones i've seen are pretty crappy.

i didn't know Giovanni Ribisi, Natalie Portman, and Jena Malone where in this movie. impressive

[Jerk Shapiro]

Looks simply stunning. I'm there.

[MadsenOMC]

SPOILERS

It's very good, but I didn't love it. The love story does not work for me. As Kidman's character mentions two or three times in the movie, they hardly know each other. And that makes it hard to be emotionally invested in their fate. I cared about them as individuals, but that's it. The cast is outstanding, but I preferred Ray Winstone and Charlie Hunman as the villains over everyone else. They are creepy, evil and easy to hate. There are a number of excellent scenes. The opening battle scene and when Jude saves Natalie Portman's character from some soldiers (best scene in the movie for me) are standouts. It's long but I was never bored. It looks great. I didn't think of it as a love story as much as it is a story about what happened to the people left behind when the men went off to fight in the war. Better than a 7, but not quite an 8, so I'll say 7.5/10.

[Scarface98.9]

Like Peter Pan, this movie looks meh to me, and isn't a big attraction for me. There's an impressive cast, although since I've heard most of them were relegated to cameos, it's not too big a deal to me now. I was no fan of The English Patient, hence the low expectations

[jolanar]

I'm not reall excited about this at all. Although my Dad really wants to see it. Plus with a Golden Globe nom already under it's belt, that has to help out.

[The Other]

Yea, it looks like one of the best examples of "Oscar-baiting" but I still want to see it. I think it looks good and I LOVE Nicole Kidman. I will see anything with her in it. :D

[JCPhoenix]

this was my most anticipated movie all through last year and this until i read the book...which was a huge snore. but even so, the cast in this film is so damn impressive i'll still see it first day i can.

[Jon Lyrik]

Looks like Harvey wanting to grab more Oscars. Trailer was terrible, I doubt I will see it, though Minghella is a capable director.

[Tweek]

Cold Mountain looks great.

Nicole was on the view and they showed some clips that made me want to see it even more.

[Bullet Tooth Tony]

I think I'll watch it but how long is Nat in there for? I remember someone mentioning she was on screen for less than four minutes but has an amazing scene with Jude?

My mum wants to see it so I think I'll treat her.

[Mike]

Looks like a rental...

The trailer was decent, but the TV spots have been pretty lame. If I wouldn't have seen the trailer and had just seen the TV spots, I might not have even rented it. Plus, Ebert & Roeper's review of it on their show got me less interested. It sounds pretty mediocre.

For now, I don't really care about this flick.

[Benny]

This definitely isn't my type of film, but I want to see this, because we are reading the book later this year in AP English, and soon will be studying the Civil War (or Northern Aggression :p) in AP History. The cast is terrific, and Nicole Kidman looks absolutely gorgeous as always. This also has some serious Oscar buzz. I've never seen a film by Anthony Minghella (The English Patient is the only 90's Best Picture that I haven't seen), so I don't know what he's like as a director.

[MadsenOMC]

Portman has one scene, maybe 5 minutes of screen time. But it's a hell of a scene. One of the best in the movie. The leading male from 28 Days Later is in the scene as well, Cillian Murphy (that's his name right?). Mike, I would highly implore any film lover to not use Ebert & Roeper when it comes to which movies to see and not see. If you did, you'd miss a lot of good movies and be subjected to a ton of bad ones. They get one right from time to time, and the old Ebert shows up randomly, but more often than not, they are way off. I agree that the Cold Mountain trailer and TV spots are weak. But it's a very good movie. And look at the other options: Paycheck, Cheaper by the Dozen and Peter Pan (wide release choices anyway). Also known as crap, crap and crap.

[ColinM]

I'm not looking forward to this one quite as much as I was a few monthes ago, but I'm still dying to see Cold Mountain. I enjoyed the novel very much, and despite the fact that they might as well stick a "Please Give Me An Oscar" subtitle onto the title, it still looks like it's gonna be one hell of a movie. Can't go wrong with that cast either. Reading the novel made one thing especially clear: Jude Law is perfectly cast. Renee Zellweger, on the other hand, is not who I would picture playing the part she has at all, but just as she surprised everyone as Bridget Jones and Roxie Hart, I don't doubt that she'll do a great job.

[BarkingSparrow]

Originally posted by ColinM
I'm not looking forward to this one quite as much as I was a few monthes ago, but I'm still dying to see Cold Mountain. I enjoyed the novel very much, and despite the fact that they might as well stick a "Please Give Me An Oscar" subtitle onto the title, it still looks like it's gonna be one hell of a movie. Can't go wrong with that cast either. Reading the novel made one thing especially clear: Jude Law is perfectly cast. Renee Zellweger, on the other hand, is not who I would picture playing the part she has at all, but just as she surprised everyone as Bridget Jones and Roxie Hart, I don't doubt that she'll do a great job.

So far the reviews have been OK but hardly stellar. The Oscar buzz seems to be more from the fact that Miramax is behind this film, as Harvey Weinstein is the biggest Oscar whore around.

[Country1969]

I've been seeing the preview for this movie that last few days and I think this movie will be good. Amazing cast.
I watch a movie no matter what kind of reviews they get. I watch it for myself. Many people said the book is boring and people are saying the movie will be long and boring also. I am sure that I will enjoy this movie.

[sharkstank]

may see it christmas day, looks good. i've read really mixed reviews, so i am hoping for the best
oh, and it's got natalie portman and nicole kidman. so maybe yeah

WWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

[Trinity]

Civil war romance epic with my two favorite actresses, from a director who's two previous movies I absolutely love - I'll be there the day it opens. Can't wait.

[Nate6]

It'll probably be a snoozer but fuck me, I'll see it anyway.

Anthony Minghella's films are usually the cure for insomnia, but this has a good cast, and is based on a good book, and it was nominated for EIGHT Golden Globes.

[Bullet Tooth Tony]

Originally posted by MadsenOMC
Portman has one scene, maybe 5 minutes of screen time. But it's a hell of a scene. One of the best in the movie. The leading male from 28 Days Later is in the scene as well, Cillian Murphy (that's his name right?).

Two good enough reasons for me then! :)

[blankpage]

It's good to see schmoes like paul, flowrchild, and MickeyKnox have really enjoyed the film. I'm seeing it today. Can't wait.

[The Other]

I enjoyed Cold Mountain. It's a good, technically well-done film, but flawed (as is the case with a lot of the films in awards consideration this year). The movie wasn't necessarily about the romance either or the two leads getting back together. It was more of a goal for the two, something for the two of them to achieve, and a reason for them to both try and survive more than actually getting back to each other. I'm also glad they recognized the whole "we barely knew each other" part. There have been many films considered "great" like, say, 1956s Giant where Rock Hudson is courting Elizabeth Taylor for a DAY before she agrees to marry (and most of the time they are bickering). I hate films that rush romances and expect the audience to believe that. There was a point to it in this film and it was recognized.

Renee will most likely win Best Supporting Actress. It's the kind of scene-stealing performance the academy loves, reminiscent of Hattie McDaniel in Gone with the Wind, although McDaniel was way better. Also, the audience I saw it with loved Renee. They all laughed whenever she spoke, and I guess that was the point. She was the comic relief character. And, at least we are given some explanation as to why Ruby is that way. She's tough and "funny" to cover up her vulnerable side and there were scenes where she did show her vulnerability (also there's the whole "make-up" Oscar issue that's REALLY giving her the win for the film). I, however, thought Natalie Portman gave the best supporting performance of the film, though. Her scenes were definitely the most dramatic in the film and she was so good. I think she's going to make my list of the best supporting actresses of the year.

Law and Kidman were also good. Neither have a chance at winning and neither should win. Lead Actor is really strong this year anyway, even out of all the guys who have no shot at getting nominated, and there are still more movies I need to see. Lead Actress is slightly weaker, but Kidman may make the list.

Grade: Hmm, still thinking about that. About a 7/10 or 8/10, we'll see.

[Sad man]

Very nice review The Other, you just made me wanna see this movie even more. I didn't think it looked very good, but now I can't wait to see it. Trinity, my thoughts are with you. You and I know what it feels like to wait for the foreign release dates. :(

[Trinity]

Originally posted by Sad man
Trinity, my thoughts are with you. You and I know what it feels like to wait for the foreign release dates. :(
So, when are you getting it?

I have no way of knowing for sure when it'll be released here, but my guess is first week of March (which would totally suck with the Oscars being earlier this year :(). It makes it so much more fun to watch the telecast when you've actually seen the movies.

[Sad man]

Originally posted by Trinity
So, when are you getting it?

I have no way of knowing for sure when it'll be released here, but my guess is first week of March (which would totally suck with the Oscars being earlier this year :(). It makes it so much more fun to watch the telecast when you've actually seen the movies.

I know. I wanna see the movies first, then the Oscars. Anyway, Cold Mountain release here is February 19th. But of course that can change. I hope it stays there!

Here are the supposed release dates for some of the Oscar humor movies:

Return of the King - Januart 1
Monsa Lisa Smile - January 15
21 Grams - January 15
The Last Samurai - January 22
Lost in Translation - February 5
Master and Commander - February 5
Big Fish - February 5
Something's Gotta Give - February 12
In America - February 19

Oh God! You should read the titles for those movies here!

[The Delfonics]

Ive watched alot of this movie at work and its pretty good. Its a little mundane in parts and at times a very cruel movie but Im suprised at some of the actors performances (and how good they were)

[Lynn Minmei]

It looks like I'll be seeing this tommorow. I'll let you schmoes know how I liked it.

[blacksnake]

Cold Mountain, is based on the book of the same name Charles Frazier. It is set during the years before and during the civil war in the 1800's. The film is set in the south where a reverend named Monroe, moves with his daughter Ada. One of the workers in the town named Inman, is very quiet and soon gets a crush on Ada, and starts to visit her before he is sent to fight in the war. While in the war Ada, lives in a farmhouse with her father Monroe, who soon dies so she is left there on her own. A spunky woman named Ruby Thewes, soon comes to help out with the house and the farm for meals and to live at the house as well. Ada agrees. Even though Ada, did not know Inman very well she thinks about him alot in these times and is wondering if he will come back safely to her or not. Inman, had successfully escaped the war but is soon being followed and on foot has to try and find his way back home to Ada. Winner of The NBR Award for Best Adapted Screenplay at The National Board Of Review and The SEFCA Award for Best Supporting Actress (Renee Zellweger, who plays Ruby Thewes) at The Southeastern Film Critcs Association Awards. Cold Mountain, has good direction, a good screenplay, great performances from everybody involved, good original music, good cinematography, good film editing, good production design, good art decoration, good set decoration and good costume design. As of this year this was the most expensive film production company Miramax Films, has ever financed on it's own with a budget of eighty five million dollars. Cold Mountain, is very well made and acted, both stories in this film (the one being Ada taking care of the farm with Ruby, and the other being Inman finding his way home) are both interesting, the film is entertaining, very personal and passionate and with it's assortment of interesting characters Cold Mountain turns out to be a real winner and a real powerful film and one of the year's best.

[Lynn Minmei]

10/10

Just wow. I thought this film may be an alright film. Minghella has atoned for any past sins. I'm still at a loss of words...

[Rated R]

I agree Lynn, this movie blew me away although it took some time for me to get into it. Going back and forth from present to past was kinda weak in the early going, thank God they got the background out of the way early enough so the film could actually move on.

Pros: Great performances by everyone. Not a single bad job in the acting department.

Beautiful scenery(not including Nicole Kidman nude)

Beautiful scenery(Nicole Kidman nude)

The pacing was somewhat slow, but it worked unlike English Patient. I find that Minghella has gotten better with every subsequent film as far as creating a slowly paced film without it being dull. English Patient bored me to tears, Talented Mr. Ripley was good, but I found myself nodding off every now and then. But Cold Mountain was phenomenal.

Cons: Too many characters that came in and left just when I wanted more from them...most notably Phillip Seymour Hoffman's character who was just fantastic. Giovanni Ribisi, Jena Malone and Donald Sutherland really did not have much to work with as far as sizable roles, but they did what they had to do.

Overall, I enjoyed the film much more than expected, but it was not without its flaws.

9/10 - One of the year's best films

[Strider]

Cold Mountain (2003)

Rated R for Violence and Sexuality

Director: Anthony Minghella

Starring Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Brendan Gleeson, Ray Winstone, Natalie Portman, Giovanni Ribisi, Jena Malone, Charlie Hunnam, Kathy Baker, and Donald Sutherland.

http://us.ent4.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/miramax_films/cold_mountain/_group_photos/jude_law1.jpg

Synopsis: "In the final days of the American Civil War, a wounded soldier named Inman (Jude Law) embarks on a perilous journey back home to Cold Mountain, North Carolina to reunite with his only true love, Ada Monroe (Nicole Kidman)".

For some strange reason, "Cold Mountain", the new film from director Anthony Minghella, reminded me so much of a modern version of "Gone with the Wind". There are quite a few similarities between the two. Both films takes place during (more or less) the Civil War, and both films revolve around a melodramatic romance. Even one of the characters in this film, Nicole Kidman's "Ada", reminded me of Vivien Leigh's "Scarlett O' Hara" in a way. If you were to ask me to compare the two films, I would definitely say "Cold Mountain" is superior. Mostly because it's much easier to sit through, and more entertaining and enjoyable. To this very day, I still find "Gone with the Wind" to be one of the most overrated films in the history of cinema.

Anyway, getting back to the film itself, "Cold Mountain" is a wonderfully made film by Anthony Minghella with solid performances from the great ensemble cast. Jude Law, however, delivers the best performance. It's gripping, emotionally-charged, and worthy of an oscar nomination. Alas, I'm not sure any of the stars of "Cold Mountain" will recieve a nomination, except for Renee Zellweger. I gurantee Zellweger will not only be nominated for the Best Supporting Actress category, but she will also win the oscar itself. As for her performance, Zellweger is good, but it's a little over-the-top, and it pretty much screams out "Oscar" very loudly.

The only area where "Cold Mountain" stumbles is in its story. The story lacks quite a lot of substance, and it's way too simple. The film really is just about a romance that takes place during and after a war, as well as Jude Law's character's dangerous journey back home. Other than that, there's really not much else in this film. This really affects the film, in terms of the pacing. There are several occasions were nothing important happens, and this slows down the film.

Despite my reservations with the film, "Cold Mountain" is so well made and well acted, that it is impossible to not give it a positive review. This is a good film, even if it can be a little tedious at times.

Running Time: 2 hours 35 minutes

Grade: 7/10 or *** 1/2 out of ***** stars

Strider

[Moviefan1234]

Cold Mountain - 7.5/10

This is a good film that could've been great. The central story of Inman's journey worked wonderfully and I never found myself longing for a new scene to begin. Anthony Minghella did a fanastic directing job and proves how good of a director he really is. The acting is great from the entire cast except Philip Seymour Hoffman's character. What a stupid, unnecessay, pointless, and annoying character. Because of him this movie lost a solid point from me. There was no need for the comic relief and for a little bit, it ruined the mood of the film for me. Thankfully it rebounded nicely, but even looking back on it, I just don't see the use for his character. All in all this was slightly disappointing for me because it could've been 9/10 material, 'tis a shame.

[Michael Corleone]

Originally posted by Nate6
It'll probably be a snoozer but fuck me, I'll see it anyway.

Anthony Minghella's films are usually the cure for insomnia, but this has a good cast, and is based on a good book, and it was nominated for EIGHT Golden Globes.

What'd you expect from Harvey's Foreign Press Association? ;)

Anyway, I've been avoiding it. I'll see it, once they stop shoving it down my throat.

[PackBacker]

Beautiful film full of beautiful people. The sheer number of recognizable actors caught me off-guard. That usually means one of 2 things-- the actors LOVE the script/director or a lotta people need a quick paycheck. I think the script was probably the reason.

A bit hard to believe at times from the romance angle but something I was able to swallow in the end.

My big beef- none of this film was shot in North Carolina. Not a big deal to 99% of the movie audience but all the people that I saw the film with were distracted by mountains that looked like the Rockies or other scenes that simply screamed a land far, far away ;)

[Deckard_HR]

I caught "Cold Mountain" last night and found it to be a great experience- until the finale...which was just sappy and un-original. The ending to this movie is one that makes everything before it seem useless. Other than Renee Zellwegger of course, who brings all the comic relief to the table. Nicole Kidman and Jude Law are both fantastic as well...but if Zellweeger doesn't win Best Supporting Actress this year then I will simply turn the TV off this March. Other than the ending, I thought the movie was excellent. It was far more gritty and dreary than I expected as well...which I appreciated. I expected sweeping shots of breathtaking mountain scapes...thankfully that wasn't the case. And the length was never a problem either. "Cold Mountain" may leave you cold, but just think of everything leading up to the dreadful ending and you will see what everyone is talking about.
9/10

[Moviefan1234]

Just curious but to those of you who didn't like the ending, how would you have prefered it to end?

[chinton]

Wow two surprises in two days. When i forst went into this i thought for sure I would hate it. I was not looking forward to it. I was also still smarting over my dissapointment in the good but flawed Return Of The King


Little did I know I would see one of the best films of the year. the funniest thing though about the film is that it get better as it goes along. When i forst started I was blown away by the amazing opening battle sequence. After that the movies settled into its languid pace and I thought it would only remain being pretty good. Yet as the movies went along I really connected with all the characters. The preople Inman meets along his journey make interesting comparisions to the Oddessey characters and are beautiful in themselves. On top of that the beautiful vistas of Inmans journey are simply breathtaking.

On Adas side we ahve the incomparable Zellwegger who is quickly becoming one of my favorite actesses. Admittedly when she forst came on screen I was afrad she would be too over the top but after a while this interesting approach Zellwegger took worked and completely hooked me. She made a nice diversion from the angst. Reminds me of the Gimili character from LOTR except he wasnt funny and was pretty annoying.


Ive notice a lot of Zellwegger backlash oddly. Please give the Oscar to Zellwegger. So shes cute rather than beautiful and still retains that texas personality. Shes great here and the past two times she got nominated. Giver her the Oscar.


There are many gut wreching scenes in this film especially involving the Home Gaurd who make great villians. Cant get the scene out of mind where theyre crushing the mothers fingers. Great acting on all of their parts

Finally one cannot leave this film without mentioning the beautiful score. If it doesnt win an Oscar I will be pissed of. Much like the underappreciated Ravenous the score is very authentic while lending emotion too. Fantastic work with the folk songs too.

Now I can understand why people thought the dialogue was too maudlin. Some of Kidmans voice overs could ahve used work along with a little of Rubys dialogue. but the whole film was done so well I just loved it.

I also found the ending quite appropriate. For this kind of film I couldnt imagine it ending any other way. Got a lumo in my throat.


8.9/10



Spoilers








By the way who else thought the image of Inman framed by the snowy sides of the wall falling to his death was beautiful. The crows were a particuraly nice touch and added a lot of weight to a single image.

[Deckard_HR]

Originally posted by Moviefan1234
Just curious but to those of you who didn't like the ending, how would you have prefered it to end?

With them being together in the end. With the war finally over and them happy! Seriously we see less of that than what happened, it made the whole movie pointless. Here's my full review...

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellwegger, Jude Law
PROS: Zellwegger and cast
CONS: Ending, too long
Seen on: January 3rd, 2003 at 3:15 p.m.
(SPOILER WARNING!)

What starts out rather slow quickly becomes a very engrossing and actually entertaining epic that looses all its steam in the final act. It has one of those “HA, made you cry!” ending’s that make me utterly sick. It makes the whole movie practically pointless. But, I’ll just try to remember all that led up to it- which was far more enjoyable than the god-awful ending.
First thing’s first, Renee Zellwegger better win that award for Best Supporting Actress! She made this movie fun and enjoyable in herself. No one, not Nicole Kidman, not Jude Law, not the many great cameos- Zellwegger! I mean, her first scene just lit up the entire theater, and me. Up until that point the movie was just a dreary and conflicting story of love…but then it became a story about love AND the other things in life. The scenes with Zellwegger and Kidman on the farm working are far more entertaining than watching Law run around with that damn beard and getting caught, then saved...then caught again...then saved AGAIN....
Nicole Kidman does a fantastic job amidst Zellwegger though, don’t get me wrong. She’s emotional and involving, and she even makes the love story work- because the little bit of time used to develop it didn’t do so well. Jude Law was on and off, not due to his fine acting job…but the fact that his journey home wasn’t as interesting as the story with Kidman and Zellwegger. And of course- that ending made it really seem pointless. I mean, he goes through ALL that he goes through and he gets shot at the very end at the hands of some albino cliche. It was stupid, just stupid. And if I can’t stand anything but one thing, it’s when characters can shoot every bad guy like a sharpshooter but can’t shoot the main one for the life of them!
The scenery wasn’t as good as I expected it to be either. The film was gritty, dark and depressing. I really expected more moments of the camera swooping down over the landscape. Alas, nothing. I guess we get enough of that in “Lord of the Rings”. Which brings up my next point- like how did this get more Golden Globe nominations than “LOTR”? Just a question…this isn’t as good. And if this sweeps the awards, especially best picture and best director…I’m going to have a field day.
Maybe I should slow down…this is an excellent movie. It’s just not as good as ‘LOTR” and it bothers me already that this seems to be getting more recognition with those old geysers…”Cold Mountain” is great, just not Best Picture great! The ending really bogs this otherwise 10/10 movie down a lot. The dreary atmosphere, Zellwegger, and an awesome explosion at the end are all just parts of the overall piece. It’s not an uneven piece at all, it’s more like a teeter-totter, one side is up and one side is down- I don’t think I have to explain which end of the movie is up and down do I?
9/10

[Moviefan1234]

It's not meant to be a happy movie though. And depending on how you look at it, it's a bittersweet ending. They did finally get together, but for a very short time period. Maybe that was worth it to them, they finally were together. Perhaps that was worth all the suffering and waiting.

[chinton]

Spoilers





How could they be together at the end. In its heart of hearts this is a old fashioned melodrama and these kinds of movies never end happily. I thought ther ending was perfectly apt

[idealdiscountdude]

Cold Mountain is a soaring, beautifully photographed, engrossing, and superbly acted epic. One of the Years 10 Best Films IMO.


Anthony Minghella's direction is stupendous. The Civil War battle scenes are amazing.

The acting by all is top notch. Brit Jude Law and Aussie Nicole Kidman lose their accents and have you engulfed in their powerful performances as Inman and Ada.

Kathy Baker, Natalie Portman, Brendan Gleeson, Giovanni Ribisi, Donald Sutherland and Eileen Atkins are all standouts in their minor roles. All brought much to the film.

My favorite performance in the film came from Renee Zellweger who is hilarious as Ruby. She definitely deserves the praise she has been receiving.

Cold Mountain above all is never dull, completely entertaining. Its funny at times, yet very sombre in tone...a great film.

My only debit had to be Phillip Seymour Hoffman who kind of got on my nerves, but oh well.


A-

[Darth Dzikowski]

Solid storytelling and movie making, the locales substituting for the United States before being touched by technology were a beauty to behold. Law, Gleeson, Kidman & Renee are solid as usual, wouldn't expect less from them. Only thing a had a problem was this -- when did they decide to remake the odyssey and call it cold mountain?

8/10

[Darth Dzikowski]

And for all those unhappy with the ending, it is called COLD MOUNTAIN, not warm fuzzy mountain

[Lynn Minmei]

Originally posted by Darth Dzikowski
And for all those unhappy with the ending, it is called COLD MOUNTAIN, not warm fuzzy mountain

Heh heh...

[Fisting Ackbar]

Law and Kidman were good when they weren't together onscreen. I felt no real chemistry between them and didn't buy the romance at all, especially when compared to Minghella's THE ENGLISH PATIENT.

I still liked it though, the supporting characters were fun (especially Hoffman as the sex crazed Christian) and I had a good time laughing at Zellweger's accent. However, if Miramax manages to buy many Academy Awards for this I'm going to scream.

[thompsoncory]

I saw it recently. I was a little disappointed by Jude Law's performance, but everyone else does great, especially Renee Zellweger, who gives one of the most entertaining performances in years. She saves the movie from being mediocre with her excellent portrayl of Ruby, and deserves an Oscar for her work.

7/10 (B)

[Moviefan1234]

I was just reading a review for this that states Cillian Murphy being in the cast. Now I don't remember him being in the movie, can anyone recall which character he played?

Thanks.

[Lynn Minmei]

Originally posted by Moviefan1234
I was just reading a review for this that states Cillian Murphy being in the cast. Now I don't remember him being in the movie, can anyone recall which character he played?

Thanks.

I recognized him as soon as he came on the screen. He's the Confederate soldier who tries to wrap up Natalie Portman's baby when the soldiers are at her house.

[Moviefan1234]

Originally posted by Lynn Minmei
I recognized him as soon as he came on the screen. He's the Confederate soldier who tries to wrap up Natalie Portman's baby when the soldiers are at her house.

Thanks, Lynn. I knew I had seen that face before when he came onscreen, but I didn't think it was Cillian. Thanks again.

It's amazing how many cameos there are in Cold Mountain.

[Jedi]

I just saw this film and I'm glad to say that I so much liked it. Its worth the 7 Oscar nominations yet it definetly isn't a contender for best picture or screenplay. What worked mostly in it is its look (gorgeous cinematography, set pieces and cast :p) and the very solid performances given by the three leads as with the rest of the supporting team. The story is simple and doesn't have much going into it in terms of plot and twists but I like how well the director managed to create a somehow complex structure of the story with on-going things mixing with flashbacks and so on, yet it didn't get confusing (a la English Patient) and it felt rather simple and understandable from the very first viewing. It did go, however, a bit too long and some material could've been easily cut especially from Jude Law's journey home.

Now, Renee Zellweger MUST win that Oscar for her role. The Academy overlooked her best performance in Nurse Betty and she's been nominated twice since. Her role in Cold Mountain made me appreciate her talents much much more. Her ability to completely disappear behind the character she's doing and her never-exaggerating yet never-superficial reactions are superb. GO RENEE, GO!! :cool:

Overall, a very solid film that's highly recommended for each and everyone who cares about BEAUTIFUL looking films and who can overlook it's very few flaws.
8/10

[Moosem216]

I just got around to seeing this last night. Like pretty much everyone else, I thought it was generally really good. The ending didn't bug me at all, so can't really help those who were complaining. You could tell from the first five minutes of the film that Law's character was going to die, I was just relatively surprised that he made it back to Cold Mountain at all.

And despite the considerable length of this film, it didn't bug me at all. Don't get me wrong, while watching the film because of the leisurely pace I was entirely aware of the length, it just wastn't irritating.

And yes, I agree with everyone, Renee Zellwiger definitely deserves the oscar for this. I'm usually not a fan of her (by which I mean I can't remotely stand her) but she was fantastic in Cold Mountain.

[dorikin]

i really liked this one. heavy at points and funny at others- which is tough to do in a film meant to be taken seriously. great performances all around.

re: the ending- just think of it as cinema karma for what jude law did to hanks at the end of road to perdition ;)

[HHH123007]

Cold Mountain - ***1/2 or (7/10)

Well, after putting it off for months I finally saw one of the most Oscar-buzzed movies of 2003....and I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. With all the mixed reviews I read, I expected an average movie. The acting was terrific, Jude Law and Renee Zellweger both deserve praise(and Renee should already have her Oscar speech prepared).

My only real problem with it was the unneeded "Hey, you know who I am? Look at me! Look at me!" cameos. Wait for the part where we're introduced to Georgia, a deserter played by Jack White(of The White Stripes). Not only does the camera linger on him too much, they LET HIM SING LONGER THAN ANYONE ELSE TO DRIVE HOME THE POINT.

Oh well, I'll buy it on DVD regardless.

[ilovemovies]

Liked it but didn't love it. I did feel the ending sort of made the whole movie kinda pointless because:


(SPOILERS)

The movie is suppose to be about Jude Law trying to go back to Kidman. He makes it but only to be killed off the next day?! It felt like it was all for naught to me. And I did think Law and Kidman had great chemistry. They were a great on screen couple!


(END OF SPOILERS)


Still, I liked it. It's the journey that makes the movie worth while, not the destination. Law was decent, but not deserving of his oscar nomination. Zellweger was good, but not quite great IMO. The best performance in the movie IMO actually belongs to Nicole Kidman, which is ironic since she's the one who was snubbed of the three. I also love Phillip Seymour Hoffman in this movie! He rocked! And the shootout at the end of the movie was great. And the film looked great. So it's a good movie just not a great one.

[Quiddler]

You know, I must be the only person on the planet who absolutely hated Renee Zellweger's performance. Hated it with the fire of a 1,000 burning nuns. Absolutely despised it. I literally cringed every time she appeared on the screen.

The best way to describe her performance is to relate a story from the LOTR:The Two Towers Cast Commentary. Brad Douriff was talking about how, early in the shoot, he got a note from Fran (or was it Phillipa?) telling him that his performance was too "accent driven." (He agreed.) I puzzled and puzzled over that, not really sure what he meant ... until I saw Renee's performance in COLD MOUNTAIN. Suddenly, I understood Fran's words. "Accent Driven" means that you think that simply doing "The Accent" means that you're Acting. It doesn't. It means you're doing an accent.

I didn't believe Renee for a second. I didn't believe she was tough. I didn't believe she was a "mountain girl," I didn't believe her body language, her the rhythm of her speech, nothing. Compare her performance to the "Goat Lady." (Sorry, have NO idea what the character's name is.) Goat Lady wasn't "acting, she just ... was. She inhabited her character, she didn't "ACT" it.

Oy.