Cold Mountain Review
by Laura Clifford (laura AT reelingreviews DOT com)December 15th, 2003
COLD MOUNTAIN
-------------
Bred for a cultural urban life, Ada Munroe (Nicole Kidman, "The Human Stain") is called by her father, the Reverend Munroe (Donald Sutherland, "The Italian Job") to his North Carolina farm just before the advent of the Civil War. Coaxed by neighbor Sally (Kathy Baker, "The Cider House Rules"), who says that any man she speaks to will clear Sally's top field for the privilege, Ada brings refreshment to shy laborer W.P. Inman (Jude Law, "Road to Perdition"). The war interrupts the beginning of a courtship, though, and Ada and Inman suffer many hardships as Inman struggles to make his way back to "Cold Mountain."
The highly anticipated "Cold Mountain," adapted from the celebrated novel by Charles Frazier, arrives after a lengthy and much publicized Romanian shoot (the breakdown of Jude Law's marriage, Kidman's successful lawsuit against papers accusing her of being the cause, Zellweger's romance with costar Jack White of the White Stripes) and disappoints. Essentially, "Cold Mountain" is the extended delay of the consummation of an attraction between its very pretty stars, goosed up with episodic appearances by high profile supporting players and a very good performance from Rene Zellweger. Those who found writer/director Anthony Minghella's "The English Patient" lovely to look at but ponderous and overstated are likely to feel the same way about "Cold Mountain."
The film begins excitingly, with a breathtaking recreation of the Battle of Petersburg that doesn't spare the blood and mud. After the Yankees successfully mine Southern trenches from underneath, resulting in a spectacular and brutal explosion, Minghella brings us into the horror of hand to hand combat. Meanwhile, back home in Cold Mountain, the former land owner Teague (Ray Winstone, "Sexy Beast") has formed a Home Guard with right hand man Bosie (Charlie Hunnam, "Nicholas Nickleby"), but instead of protecting home turf they terrorize residents in their relentless pursuit of deserters and those that harbor them.
Ada's situation immediately becomes precarious. Her beloved father dies, leaving her penniless and alone on a farm she's ill-suited to tend. Embarrassed by the town's charity, she scrapes by, a ghostly presence who continuously writes to Inman, begging him to return. The ever resourceful Sally sends Ruby Thewes (Renee Zellweger, "Chicago") to Ada to help her run the farm. Rustic Ruby announces that she's no servant, takes stock of the place and begins to toughen up Ada with manual labor like a Scarlett O'Hara who never left Tara. In turn, Ada softens Ruby with music and literature. Teague, who fancies Ada for himself, keeps a watchful eye on the ladies and they and their neighbor Sally will suffer his villainy as their menfolk desert a losing cause.
One of those men is Inman, who is read Ada's letter while recuperating from a bullet wound in a makeshift Yankee hospital. During his long trek home, Inman will encounter a hedonistic clergyman (Philip Seymour Hoffman, "Owning Mahowney") obsessed with his regularity, a devious backwoods farmer (Giovanni Ribisi, "Lost in Translation") living with a bevy of oversexed women, Maddy the goat lady (Eileen Atkins, "The Hours"), a natural philosopher who nurses him back from yet another wound and Sara (Natalie Portman, "Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones"), the widowed wife of a Confederate soldier with a new baby. When he finally arrives home, it is to face yet another battle.
Minghella imbues his adaptation with post 9/11 sentiments ('I imagine God is weary of being called down on both sides of an argument' Inman remarks to the Reverend) and John Woo-religious and Sam Raimi-portentous bird imagery (Inman catches a white dove inside Munroe's chapel, Ada sees a vision of Inman returning amidst flying crows in Sally's well), but his central story rings hollow. Even Ruby's reconciliation with her musical father Stobrod (Brendan Gleeson, "Gangs of New York") feels false, his former abusiveness forgotten after a display of roguish charm and a few songs. The film's conclusion and epilogue are a particularly egregious collection of cliches.
All of this is very beautifully photographed by John Seale ("The English Patient")(a wonderful shot of Ada playing the piano on the back of a cart as it travels down a country road is almost surreal), and Dante Ferretti's ("The Age of Innocence") production design rings true, but costume designer Ann Roth ("The Talented Mr. Ripley") can't resist turning the life-hardened Ada out like she's just left a Ralph Lauren boutique for her reunion with Inman.
Law's performance is almost too restrained. Kidman fairs better, doing a particularly nice job of genteel inebriation after celebrating Christmas, but she's completely upstaged by the comic antics of Zellweger, whose tough pluck and prickle give "Cold Mountain" a much needed dose of warmth and entertainment. The huge supporting cast has many standouts. Kathy Baker has a strong arc as Sally. Natalie Portman throws off her Amidala cloak and delivers a really fine portrait of a desperate and lonely woman and Eileen Atkins also makes the most of her limited screen time. Hoffman is amusing, but this role showcases little but his lack of vanity. Ethan Suplee ("Remember the Titans") is touching as Stobrod's not too bright companion Pangle. The film also features James Gammon ("Life or Something Like It") as Sally's husband Esco, Lucas Black ("Sling Blade") as young soldier Oakley, Melora Walters ("Magnolia") as Ribisi's lusty wife Lila and Cillian Murphy ("28 Days") as a Yankee soldier.
"Cold Mountain" may be marketed as a literary adaptation, but in reality it's an artfully presented chick flick.
C+
For more Reeling reviews visit http://www.reelingreviews.com
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
