Kidman, Law, and Zellweger Tower Over Cold Mountain
Great Performances Make Film a Must See

At this time of year, the Academy Award contenders start to pour out of Hollywood. One can almost feel the looming presence of Oscar when passing movie posters featuring the visages of the industry's A-list. Cold Mountain is no exception. The poster features the three stars, Nicole Kidman , Jude Law , and Renée Zellweger , their faces treated to a sepia filter that makes them appear like something from an old photograph. While I usually hate posters that do nothing but show floating heads over a title, the design is particularly appropriate for Cold Mountain . It is the performances, not the story, that will draw moviegoers to this brutal, heart-breaking, and tragic film.

Kidman narrates the story of a woman waiting for her love to return to North Carolina during the American Civil War. The film begins in 1864 and soon flashes back three years to show a preacher's daughter, Ada Monroe (Kidman), arriving in the small community of Cold Mountain with her father ( Donald Sutherland ). Ada's beauty has already attracted the attention of most of the men, including a handyman named W.P. Inman (Law). Ada is likewise attracted to Inman, but before a courtship can begin the South secedes from the Union and war is declared. Inman, like the other able-bodied men in the community, goes off to serve the Confederacy.

To call Cold Mountain a Civil War picture would be like calling Casablanca a story about World War II. The war is merely setting to the story, giving characters their motivation. Politics and war don't play much of the story, which is mostly a personal narrative of Ada writing letters to Inman. As she prays for his safe return, she is beset by personal hardships that include the death of her father and her inability to carry on the farm in his absence. While the locals attempt to help Ada, her pride forces her to refuse charity. But when a handywoman named Ruby (Zellweger) appears on her doorstep, she finds an ally and a teacher. Ruby is the opposite of the refined Ada. While Ada is educated, she has no practical, functional knowledge of how to survive outside of the city of Charleston. Ruby, although only having three years of school, has survived on her own since she was a child because of an alcoholic father who would leave her alone in the mountains for weeks at a time.

As Ada and Ruby work to survive the coming winter on the farm, Inman deserts the army to make his way back to Cold Mountain. One of Ada's few letters to reach him has told him of her plight and begs him to return. With one thought in mind, he sets off across the hundreds of miles between him and home. Along the way, Inman meets a variety of characters and obstacles that fate has placed in his path.

Anthony Minghella's direction is most stunning in scenes of war and various cruelty, but lacks a sweeping epic feel of a war picture. The story is a personal one, so Minghella avoids grand vistas and open horizons for close-ups. Some of the violence is up close and more horrific because of it. The violence in Inman's experiences is tempered by Ada's personal struggle (which includes some violence as well), but never quite balances. After the film was over, the images of torture and killing were more dominant in my memory than the rest of the story.

Kidman's performance changes with her character, and audiences can see the fragile refined Ada washed away as she works to save her farm and stand up to Teague ( Ray Winstone ) and his ruthless Home Guard. The Ada that appears by the end of the film is strong, resolute, and nothing like the soft city girl who knows nothing but how to needlepoint and lace corsets. On the other hand, Law's performance is even throughout, given to silent, stony glances that seem to be trademark for Inman's character. Ironically, neither of these fine actors are American, but deliver their performances with authentic sounding Southern accents. While many actors would be pressed to drawl thickly, neither Kidman nor Law resort to caricature. Law doesn't always cover his British accent perfectly, but Kidman seems to be a native of America - proof of her talent.

Zellweger, however, does not fake an accent. The Texas-born actress delivers an authentic Southern drawl along with the finest performance of her career. Her no-nonsense Ruby dominates every scene, giving the film some much needed light-hearted moments. This is not to say that Ruby is a comedic character, but rather a good foundation of fundamental practicality in Ada's tragic romantic life. Zellweger handles the serious side of Ruby with similar aplomb. Whether recounting her harsh childhood or trying to make a connection with her estranged father ( Brendan Gleeson ), Ruby shows a tremendous maturity countered with a childlike vulnerability. Zellweger's performance is simply incredible.

There are a number of great supporting performances in Cold Mountain , including Sutherland, Kathy Baker , Philip Seymour Hoffman , and Natalie Portman . None of the supporting performances reaches the bar set by Zellweger, however. While she may not be the lead character of the story, she outshines Kidman. But she does so without ever stealing the scene or throwing the focus off of Ada. In truth, this is what a great supporting character does, and Zellweger should be remembered for it come Oscar time.

On the whole, Cold Mountain is an amazing film, if a little sappy and predictable. The narration from Kidman comes off a little too angst-ridden at times, but is perfectly in character for a woman whose world has been stripped out from under her. The ending, likewise, is fitting. I won't say it is predictable, because such stories have many ways to end, but the audience will probably agree in hindsight that it couldn't have ended any other way.

MY RATING: 9 out of 10.

RATED: R
RUN TIME: 155 min.