Rating: 
Summary: No need to fidget!
Review: Christmas came early last year when I got the chance to review a new film called Cold Mountain for my article in the magazine I write for. I expected a tedious and dowdy journey of the heroic soldier travelling back from the War to his sweetheart that I have reviewed so many times before, but I was in for a supprise. With an all star cast and Jude Law and Nicole Kidman leading the way, I belived my pre-written review of a "fidget in your seats" film would need to be re-written. Jude and Nicole gave heart-warming proformances as the lost lovers and the on-screen chemistry worked well with the story line. (I also write a gossip column in the magazine and could quite happily once again go on about the denyed "affair" between them, but....maybe not!) However, I feel Renee Zelweger with her informous Ruby steals the limelight away from the others. She clearly shows the hard surface of Ruby's character in the beginning, but Renee has the power to release the softer Ruby steadily thoughout the remainder of the story, especially with the events concerning her Father. The Oscar sitting on her matlepiece at home is clearly deserved. The dodgy Yank accent is the only let down of this masterpiece, and as my readers know, I never give full marks on my review as there is always room for improvement, but I have to admit, this is the closest I have ever got to giving away full marks!
Rating: 
Summary: Cold Mountain is a mountain on fire!!!!!
Review: Cold Mountain blew me away last Christmas!!!! It was not the film that I originally planned to see with my friends, but boy, it was better than anyother. Jude Law and Nicole Kidman gave heartwarming proformances and had onscreen chemistry, however I felt thata Renee Zelweger was the real star of the show, despite not being in a main role and she truly deserved her Oscar. The script was fantasitc, adding humour into the bleakness of the war. My male friends were intregued by the battle sceens, but we tended to warm to the story of the lost love of Ada and Inman. This film has no downfalls in my opinion, but it was disturbed by my fathers endless nedd to go to the pub!!!
Rating:
Summary: Simple yet Powerful
Review: COLD MOUNTAIN is a simple story that delivers a powerful message about love. It is both beautiful yet brutal in its story of romantic love. Jude Law was perfect as the Confederate soldier returning to his loved one.
Rating:
Summary: Unashamedly Melodramatic, and Succeeds ... Almost
Review: "Cold Mountain" is a proof that good story and photography can be very fascinating so as to make us forget the obvious flaws of the entire film. The film is trying to be romantic, but the central characters are emotionally detached; it is breathtakingly beautiful (kudos to John Seale, "English Patient"), but way too long; and, hey, Renee Zellweger mightbe Texas-born, but is Jude Law an American? Or Nicole Kidman?Actually, Nicole was born in Hawaii, but surely looks gorgeous as the priest's daughter Ada Monroe, who moved to Cold Mountain in 1864. She meets a local boy Inman (Law), and before he leaves the village to join the Civil War, she exchanges a brief kiss with him, which changes the lives of the two. He vows to come back no matter what it takes, and we see Inman leaving the battlefield without permission, and going back to the home hunted by the army, and also Ada, who waits for him to come back, enduring the unhappy incidents back in the village, being helped by a wild and independent girl Ruby (Zellweger). What ever you see in "Cold Mountain," you have seen in the previously made American history dramas -- especially "Gone with the Wind." And as to Law and Kidman, yes, they are handsome, to be sure, but cannot spark the fire that should thaw the snow falling on this mountain. The problem is not acting -- it is excellent -- but the too long middle section, in which so many episodes are inserted with supporting actors. Support comes from everywhere. See how Inman meet Eileen Atkins, Giovanni Ribisi, Philip Seymore Hoffman, and Natalie Portman on the way home as if the film insists on using the names of these talents. However, I don't know the casting can be all justified (I think Portman is miscast), and if you blink (yes, literally), you will miss Jena Malone. You also get ubiquitous Donald Sutherland, Ray Winstone, Brendan Bleeson, Charlie Hunnam, Kathy Baker, James Gammon, Jack White (his debut as actor), Lucas Black, and so on and on. The clout of director Anthony Minghella? Possibly. But I believe there is a better way to prove that. "Cold Mountain" gracefully exudes the bitter-sweet smell of romance, and also never fails to present the painful memories of the war. It is always great to watch, and never stops the story. But as a whole it should have been tighter, or at least concentrated the relations between the man and woman though it still deserves watching for those who love romantic stories.
Rating:
Summary: Better than "The English Patient"
Review: Although I thought "The English Patient" was OK, I liked "Cold Mountain" a lot more. I really got into the authenticity of the time and place, and I felt the characters were much more believable than say the imaginary characters of "Gone with the Wind." At least no one in "Cold Mountain" tried to turn the curtains into gowns. I always thought that was pretty unbelievable. Anyway, for those of you who thought Minghella took great liberty with his adaptaion of "Cold Mountain," then you should read "The English Patient." I thought he took greater liberty on that book. The difference is is that it worked better in "Cold Mountain" than "The English Patient."
Rating:
Summary: A metaphor for home
Review: The movie was realley good, as was the book. I don't waunt to debare every tiny difference between the two. I simply would like to set the record straight on the whole Ada Inman instant romance. A few flertatious moments with Ada are not the reasons that Inman travels so far to get back to Cold Mountain. Ada is a medaphor for home. She represents the mountains, farms ,and comunity that Inman is trying to get to. So stop scoffing at the suddenness of the romance and focus on the love this weary soldier has for the home he has been fighting for, for the last four years. That is why the ending is not sad. He did it, he made it home to see the fields and mountains one last time instead of dieing on some battlefield far away.
Rating:
Summary: Breathtaking Journey of Love.
Review: Cold Mountain is a beautiful movie set during the American Civil War. A North Carolina town of Cold Mountain has sent it's beloved sons to war leaving behind Mothers and Lovers. Our two main characters are Ada (Nicole Kidman) and Inman (Jude Law) two Cold Mountain residents dedicated to there reunion after the war, but the war drags on and there correspondence is the only thing that unites them in a terrible time of American History. The movie tells of Inman's journey back to Ada and the parrallel story of Ada trying to survive on her fathers farm. Both characters take a journey in spirit and determination to survive the horror that has become there existance during the war. I loved the intertwining of music and drama in this movie. Anthony Mingella did, as expected, an excellent job etching the powerful feelings of hope and dismay with haunting music written by Sting and performed by the clear voice of blue grasses own Alison Krauss. I am from North Carolina am familiar with the native music of the area and thought the music in the movie very similar and so wonderful. Although, this is a Love Story more than a movie of the American Civil War it stirred the feeling of my Southern Roots. The movie did not contemplate the reasons for the Civil War but it was a vehicle for ours lovers seperation. I found the depiction of the Petersburg battle flawed not entirely accurate to history but then again the war is not the focus in the movie. I was in aw of the cinemontography of this movie, magnificent. A gorgeous movie that needs to be seen. Perhaps I am biased, since I am a North Carolinian, but I thought this movie excellent, bittersweet, wonderfully acted, and crafted by the best in the movie business today. I would recommend this movie. I was so touched by the Lovers' correspondence between each other the quiet love between two people spelled out in words. You hear Ada reading her letters to Inman on his journey back to her and your heart aches for the both of them......sigh. girldiver:)
Rating:
Summary: Epic love story
Review: This movie has been discussed in great detail in these reviews. I want to add one more 5-star vote to this epic tale of love for its sweeping cinematography and its historical story, which place it in the same class as some of the other top films of 2003, including "Master and Commander" or even"Lost In Translation." To me this was a movie to sit back and enjoy in all its epic grandeur. The movie can be divided into 3 parts in chronological order, much as North Carolina itself is divided into three parts: coastal plain, piedmont, and mountains: the first part is where Ada and Inman meet and includes Inman's participation in the Civil War, ending with his injury and his escape from the hospital; the second part is his Odyssey-like journey back to Cold Mountain, the strange people he meets on the journey, and the simultaneous story of Ada and Ruby's struggles to keep Ada's farm going after Ada's father's death; and the third part is the conclusion when they meet again. There are also at least 2 strong secondary plots: 1) Ruby's derelict father who is also a fine traditional mountain musician; 2)the vigilantes who root out and kill Confederate Civil War deserters.
Rating:
Summary: Reflections on the Movie "Cold Mountain"
Review: "Cold Mountain" was a romantic movie that showed me a good time. In contrast to most shallow movies in the theaters these days, the novel-adapted movie was moving and rich in meaning. Moreover, the picturesque scenes reminded me of the classic romance "Gone with the Wind" as both of them are about the Civil War and how people deal with it. Of course, it is impossible to be as good as GWTW, but a finely-made movie during these years. War's ugliness and brutality was vividly portrayed in the movie. The screenplay starts with Inman, the male protagonist, painstakingly fighting in the war. The civil war undermined his nascent relationship with Ada. The war went on, regardless of the injured and dying soldier, not to mention their wretched families. On the other hand, people of the same union did not always cooperate with each other but cast greedy eyes on their comrades' possessions. Violence made people display the most sinister side of their personality, so I was glad that there is no war around me, or people would have to bear the sufferings depicted in the film. The hesitancy people in old times had when expressing their feelings was beauteous. Ada, the female protagonist, and Inman loved each other with equal passion, yet neither knew the proper way to let it out. The implication held a fascinating beauty to me, for people in modern times do not bother to conceal their feelings. Brilliant music was composed along with the film. In the movie, the music is peaceful and sweet when the shot moves to Cold Mountain. The songs are particularly beautiful in romantic moments as they served to accentuate the elegance of love. On the other hand, they are also enjoyable to listen to out of the movie. When the two theme songs, ¡§You Will Always Be My Ain Love" and "Scarlet Tide" were performed live at the Academy Awards this year, I was stunned by the magnificent melodies. In sum, "Cold Mountain" is sorrowfully beautiful. It makes me reflect on my own life as well as appreciating the fantastic scenery shown. Even though the background was set more than a century ago, modern people would still experience the same frustrations and struggled for solutions as ancient people did.
Rating:
Summary: The best film of the year! It should have got a nomination!
Review: What a touching, inspiring, funny, heartfelt, awesome, powerful, moving, dramatic, and romantic movie. Could this film be any more perfect. This film has everything. No, film, even Gone with the Wind, has ever portrayed the Civil War in this way. The acting was absolutely superb. Jude, Nicole, and especially Renee, had flawless Southern accents. Anthony Minghella did a superb job at directing. He took an awesome book, and transformed it into an awesome movie. I honestly wished the film could've been even longer. The story moves you in such a great way. Other highlights of the film is it's killer supporting cast, which includes Brendan Gleeson, Natalie Portman, and Phillip Seymore Hoffman, along with beautiful music, and the beautiful cinematography. Even with almost identical parallels with Gone with the Wind and Titanic, the film is actually more of a Casablanca of our time. Go see this film, or rent the DVD.
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