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I've heard a lot of people compare this movie to classic epic romance films such as "Doctor Zhivago" and "Gone With The Wind". But, to do so I feel is a mistake. By telling people this you are creating such a high level of expectation (considering you like those movies) that "Cold Mountain" will never be able to live up to it. At first I fell into this trap and was expecting a masterpiece and soon I thought about it and realized it doesn't matter if this movie is not as good as those because you know what? Few films are as good as "Gone With The Wind" and "Doctor Zhivago", that's why we consider them classics.

"Cold Mountain" has two faults that I can think of, and because of them it stopped the movie from leaving a greater impression on me than it could have. The movie is about a young man named Inman (Jude Law) who meets a reverend's daughter (Nicole Kidman) soon an attraction starts, but, as fate would have it the Civil War breaks out and now Inman must go and defend the south causing him to think about Ada (Kidman) every day and wait until the day he can be in her arms again. Now this all sounds fine, but the problem I have with the movie is the two barely know eachother, in fact both characters make the same comment. I've never read the book by Charles Frazier, but, if this movie is a faithful adaptation my guess is this probably worked more in the book than in the film. Books can get away with certain things movies can't. What would have drawn me more into the story would be if there were more love scenes between Law and Kidman this way we, the viewer, can now understand the love between them. We would be able to feel more for him. As the film stands now, we go along for the journey yes, but, I felt the movie lacks the depth that could have been. The other problem I have with the movie has to do with Renee Zellweger. Now, I must in fairness admit when Zellweger appears the movie seems to come to life, she brings a certain vitality with her. But, there's a story going on here concerning her relationship with her father that I found unnecessary. Zellweger though plays her character Ruby in the same way Vivian Leigh played Scarlett O' Hara when she killed the soldier and stole from him and wore a curtain as a dress lol. She plays her character with that same spunk.

Do these things hurt the movie? No, not really. "Cold Mountain" still succeeds in other areas. I enjoyed Anthony Minghella directing and his attention to detail. I also liked the cinematography by John Seale and the acting by the cast is wonderful, I especially enjoyed the supporting roles given to Philip Seymour Hoffman and Natalie Portman. With this movie I came to notice what a good actor Jude Law is. If you've seen "A.I." and "Enemy at the Gates" you'll see he is able to play different roles. Plus Nicole Kidman keeps up her winning streak after her impressive work in a film that came out earlier in 2003 entitled "The Human Stain" here though I think she gives the better performance. *** 1\2 out of *****

Bottom-line: An at times effective attempt to bring back the romantic epics of the past. Has some impressive acting from the leads and supporting characters. Minghella directing has many inspired moments.

This film is a period piece that has a true epic sweep, yet never loses an intimate connection with the main characters. The production design is full of fascinating and thoughtful details that make the film a joy to watch. But it's also often harrowing and graphically violent--Minghella does not flinch at exploring the injustice and brutality of humankind towards itself.

The performances are all superb. After having distinguished himself in a number of noteworthy supporting roles, Law really proves himself a great leading man here. Kidman brings both delicacy and steel to her role--a southern belle faced with daunting wartime challenges. Zellweger delivers a rich, earthy, zesty performance; she is a perfect foil for Kidman and their characters' relationship is one of the great highlights of the film. The three main actors are superbly supported by the rest of the cast.

"Cold Mountain" is often quite grim and brutal, but is leavened by earthy humor and irony. Ultimately I found the film to be life-affirming. It's a love story and a war story, but regardless of genre it's a superbly crafted and genuinely moving film.