COLD MOUNTAIN

Review: Set in the American Civil War, just before heading home to North Carolina to see his sweetheart a soldier is seriously wounded in battle. On his way home he meets people who want to both hinder and aid his mission.
Director: Anthony Minghella
Actors: Jude Law, Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger, Eileen Atkins, Brendan Gleeson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Natalie Portman, Donald Sutherland, Ray Winstone and Cillian Murphy
Year: 2003
Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, History and Romance
Conclusion: 4/5
This was originally a historical novel by Charles Frazier that was published in 1997. Fantastic ensemble cast. They all put so much effort into this film. The one that stood out for me was Renee Zellweger who excelled herself. The battle scenes and the Civil War Landscapes are breath-taking. There are so many great moments. It is a very long film running in over 2 and a half hours. There are scenes in this where Nicole Kidman is playing the piano. She did all of the piano playing herself. Also Brendan Gleeson did all of his own fiddle music. Apparently Natalie Portman auditioned for the role of Ada. This is the second of three collaborations between Anthony Minghella and Jude Law. Others being The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) and also Breaking and Entering (2006). Just some of the main themes that occur in this are War, Memory and Trauma, Isolation and Survival, Love and also the Quest to Return Home. At the Academy Awards in 2004 it won 1 Oscar and that was for Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Renee Zellweger). At the Golden Globe Awards in 2004 Renee Zellweger won for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture.  At the Bafta Awards in 2004 Gabriel Yared and T Bone Burnett won the Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music. Renee Zelweger also won another award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role.
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi3906797849?ref_=tt_pv_vi_aiv_1