"Cold Mountain" has received rave reviews and is one of
the favored films on the awards circuit, including receiving a near-record eight
Golden Globe nominations. But we approach the Oscar nominations, the film
has started to falter: some critics have said that the film is a little too
cold and the romance a little too implausible, and the film has missed out
on several key nominations that serve as a barometer for the Oscars (Anthony Minghella
did not receive a Best Director nomination from the Directors Guild of
America, and Nicole Kidman was bypassed for a Best Actress BAFTA
nomination).
So going into the theater, I was a little apprehensive
that "Cold Mountain" may have been a little too over-hyped. But truly, it is
a powerful film with a brilliant ensemble. Jude Law delivers a very powerful
performance, and two-time Cosmo nominee Renee Zellweger gives one of the
strongest performances of her career. Two-time Cosmo nominee Nicole Kidman
is also good, though not as stellar as the rest of the cast (she's done
better), and it will be interesting to see if she and Renee are both receive
their third Cosmique Movie Award nominations in as many years.
The relationship between Ada (Kidman) and Inman (Law) does
seem to be based on a shaky foundation - we see a few scant conversations
and a quick kiss before he marches off to war, armed with a photograph of
his love and his memory of their kiss to sustain him. But critics have
missed the point if they feel that this is not enough to build a
relationship upon. (Many relationships, particularly on the eve of war, have
been built on less, but that's beside the point.) The film is not about
whether or not Ada and Inman share a love that's destined to stand the test
of time. Rather, it's about their memories of their brief time together, and
how they use those memories to survive. They've idealized those memories to
make their partner "perfect," much like how a child of an absent parent may
idolize that parent and ignore his or her faults. How easy it is, after all, for
someone to project their wishes, hopes, and dreams into their memories of a
moment, and build that moment into something ... monumental. That's what Ada
and Inman have done, and they have used their memories to give themselves
hope and strength during the cold, dark days of the Civil War. Whether those
dreams would someday be dashed once the excitement of their reunion wears
off is irrelevant for their story.
The film has some wonderful comedic moments, particularly
from Renee Zellweger and Philip Seymour Hoffman. But Zellweger is more than
a comedic foil; she also serves as one of the most important emotional
anchors in the film. Jude Law and Renee Zellweger will almost certainly make my
top five list for Best Actor and Supporting Actress, respectively, and
Nicole Kidman might make my list for Best Actress. (I have to recheck my
notes on that one.) The film will certainly make my top five for Best
Historical (though it's a fictional story, it's steeped in the history of
the Civil War). It will very likely make my lists for Best Ensemble, Best
Cinematography, and Best Costume Design as well.
My grade: A -
If you would like to submit a review to be posted on this
page, please submit it in plain text format to the
President of the Cosmique
Movie Academy. Fans who are not members of the Academy are still welcome
to submit their own reviews, but we reserve the right to decline to publish
any review.
