Cold Mountain (2003)

Brrr!

Genre: War Drama Romance

Starring: Jude Law (Sky Captain And The World Of Tomorrow; I Heart Huckabees), Nicole Kidman (The Interpreter; Eyes Wide Shut)

Directed By: Anthony Minghella (The English Patient; The Talented Mr. Ripley)

Overview: A modern retelling of Homer's Odyssey, a southern civil war soldier deserts to go back to the woman who waits for him.

Acting: The top notch cast guarantees that the acting is great. Renée Zellweger and Jack White are the two roles that surprised me the most, but even the less crucial characters of Ribisi and the goat-killing hermit all did their part to perfectly enhance the film. Really great.
Rating: 9

Cinematography: The cinematography is as expected for such a high-budget production. Scenic panoramas of the battlefield erupting with civil war combat, pastoral shots of the south, well lit night scenes by the fire. Everything really professional, well done.
Rating: 8

Script: The script has it's moments. Frankly, anything adapted from a novel tends to safeguard a decent script, and Jude, Nicole and Renée deliver the words well. Sadly nothing truly poetic, even in their declarations of truest love, though Renée's comic interruptions and down-to-earthedness offsets this very well.
Rating: 7

Plot: The plot is solid. A man finds trials and tribulations as he walk back home, crossing hundreds of miles. During all of this, we see the story of this couple's past unfold. The little character developing moments truly seemed more important than the story itself. Great plot, thought the ending was a little disappointing - but not in that blatant predictable way.
Rating: 8

Mood: The overall themes of love and the important trek through the wilderness and the harshest tests versus man and nature are well maintained, and the job at immersing us into the era... All great.
Rating: 7

"Thanks, maam! Ain't nuthin as refreshun as a tall cold glass of Peach Shnapps after a long day of work! It's the Southern way!"

Overall Rating: 82% (A Great Tale)

Aftertaste: The movie ended in a way that was a touch disappointing for me, you might find the opposite to be true. Overall, this movie will not leave my mind marked with thoughts of genius, but it was really good, and anyone who likes Zellweger, Kidman and Law will definitely like this one too.