I watched Cold Mountain tonight at Portsmouth. Jude Law plays a Confederate soldier ‘Inman’ sent to fight in the American Civil war. As the movie begins we learn through a series of flashbacks that Inman has rapidly fallen in love with the town’s Reverend’s daughter, Ada (Nicole Kidman). Ada has recently settled in Cold Mountain with her father at a farm on the outskirts of the town. Any chance of romance between the two is broken rather hastily as war breaks out and Inman is called to service. The movie progresses to follow both Ada and Inman’s struggles through life as various events lead them in all sorts of directions. Can they finally meet up, be happy, get married and have kids? Who knows. I know. I’m not telling you though.
The movie is rather long (155 min) but there’s rarely a dull moment. It’s interesting, compelling and sometimes quite amusing. The flashbacks were a bit confusing at first but this settled down later in the movie to give an overall quite enjoyable piece.
I give it 8/10