Review of Cold Mountain (2003) by Craig K — 28 May 2009

Beautifully photographed, moving drama, with impressive performances from its three leads and a terrific supporting cast. Itâ??s still too long, though. After The English Patient and The Talented Mr Ripley, it appears that Anthony Minghella is Hollywoodâ??s â??Go Toâ?? Guy when it comes to classy literary adaptations.

His latest film is no exception: adapted from Charles Frazierâ??s award-winning novel by Minghella himself, Cold Mountain is a beautifully shot, impressively acted, moving drama marred only by a buttock-challenging running time and a couple of dodgy scenes near the beginning.

Stunningly Beautiful Cinematography. There are some great scenes here, notably the stunning opening on the battlefield, when Inman sustains his injury, but also several of Inmanâ??s encounters and practically every scene with Zellweger, especially those involving Gleeson.

Unfortunately, there are also some dodgy scenes (the bird trapped in the church, for example) and itâ??s fair to say that the film could have comfortably lost a good twenty minutes from its opening. Similarly, some of the later action scenes are poorly shot, so that you canâ??t really tell whatâ??s going on (reputedly, the film underwent a number of re-edits).

These minor quibbles aside, however, Cold Mountain is an enjoyable, moving drama with superb performances and stunning photography. Consequently, itâ??ll almost certainly feature prominently amongst this yearâ??s Oscar nominations.

Recommended.