A Peck of Gold

Cold Mountain

Over the holidays, I went with my sister-in-law, Amy, to see Cold Mountain. It was a well-done film. It took me a few minutes to get past the accents and into the story, but I barely noticed them after a while. The scenery was beautiful, and shot with that "epic" feel. The battle scenes were far more violent than I expected. I got the feeling that they wanted to "scare us straight" about how bad war really is. Well, it worked. If I didn't hate war before, I hate it now. It was very gruesome, and heartwrenching. The brutality of thousands of men killing each other is shocking, and far more realistic than I care to think about. The perspective of the women and children left behind is not necessarily new, but is still thought provoking in this venue.

The chemistry between the lead characters was... brief. They are barely together during the movie. However, the trials and struggles they go through to reunite make their love seem more sincere, and respectable. I do have to mention one thing- the "love scenes" in this movie are graphic. I felt obliged to cover my eyes a few times, and I couldn't stop myself from saying, "Well, I never... oh my goodness... should they be showing that??" I do admit to my share of peeking though...

But, it's not all hanky panky. Renee Zellwegger's character has the best growth and presence throughout the story. She nails it, and watching her was a real pleasure. She provides another level to the setting that helps build that "epic" atmosphere. She's pretty funny, too.

Natalie Portman has a small but moving role as well, and her portrayal of a widowed woman left to fend for herself is gut-twisting. I promise you, there wasn't a mother in the theatre who wasn't sitting on the edge of her seat or fighting back tears.

I will be disappointed if this movie wins the Oscar for Best Picture over the Return of the King, but I can see why it's in the running. This is the kind of movie that the more you think about it, the more you like it.

Anyway, that's my review. It was my first one, so how'd I do?