Hired this accidentally - video store about to close, not thinking straight, thought it was The Missing - but wasn't too disappointed when I realised my error. Didn't really know anything about this one, but the presence of Jude Law, Nicole Kidman and Renee Zellweger promised something at least watchable; turned out to be an old-fashioned romantic epic (set against the backdrop of the American Civil War, no less!), and rather a good one, though it didn't have quite the sweep and emotional punch to which it aspired (that said, it went pretty darn near).
Normally, these sorts of films live or die by their success on two scores - the performance of the leads, and the quality of the cinematography...Cold Mountain gets full points for that latter (it's absolutely sumptuous-looking), but Kidman and Law were, while convincing, not particularly scintillating (which didn't stop me from getting that emotional reflex-response shiver when the two were reunited in the snow - but of course I'm an easy mark for that kind of thing, studied/actual cynicism notwithstanding). Zellweger's performance, though, was a tonic and a treat, and there was a whole cavalcade of other familiar faces: Donald Sutherland; Jack White (who I thought looked familiar but couldn't place); Natalie Portman (who I thought was pretty but completely didn't recognise); and assorted other familiar character actors. More generally, the film as whole is both evocative and believable - and quite historical-feeling, as it ought to. Plus, liked the Appalachian-folk soundtrack (complete with a version of "Wayfaring Stranger") and now intend to check out some Alison Krauss.
