Cold Mountain
Under the backdrop of the Civil War, two lovers are thrown on different paths trying to find their way toward each other. Ada (Nicole Kidman) and Inman (Jude Law) fell in love at first sight on Cold Mountain but when the war broke out, Inman was forced to enlist for the Confederacy while Ada lived with her minister father (Donald Sutherland). Being an educated woman, Ada didn't know the first thing about keeping a house and would be tougher so when her father died. Her neighbor friend, Sally (Kathy Baker), recommended a lady to help with the upkeep, Ruby, played by Renee Zellweger. Meanwhile, with letters pouring in from Ada (okay, only 3 got through) pleading for Inman to come home, he does just that, deserting the army after he is hurt. Soon, it becomes a long, treacherous journey back to Cold Mountain, complete with many different characters met along the way including Giovanni Ribisi, Natalie Portman, and Philip Seymour Hoffman that resembles Odysseus' trip home in The Odyssey.

The movie is very realistic in its portrayal of the South ravaged by the war and director Anthony Minghella (The English Patient) builds upon it with fresh performances filled with emotion, highlighted by another good performance from Zellweger. But the problem with dealing with the backstory of the Civil War rather than the war itself is that it's awfully boring. I really wasn't expecting to see two hours of Kidman trying to keep her house in order while screaming out Inman's name once in a while, yet ultimately that's what happened. Law plays the typical man where nothing gets in his way in his journey to the ultimate goal of finding Ada, even if it means deserting his army, running away from hunters, and refusing the temptations from at least two women along the way. Small performances sprinkled along the way provide a lot in terms of action and drama but don't contribute to the main, albeit long-distance, love story of Ada and Inman, making this movie nice to watch but ultimately a little bit tedious. 3 stars