Does anyone else think Cold Mountain looks like crap?
 

I am reminded of 1996 when people were gushing about English Patient and I thought it sucked...I love the cast...but the movie was just terrible and dull and boring...and this one looks like the same damn movie only set in Civil War...Again...I like the cast...Jude is one of my favorite newer actors...and I like Nicole...but by god are the womens southern accents just horrid...they dont sound a damn thing like a real southern accent...ugh! I dunno...I think it looks like this years overrated piece of s**t movie that sweeps the Oscars for no reason...it happened in 96 when EP beat Fargo...and its probably gonna happen this year when CM beats out ROTK...

I think it looks terrific, with one of the best casts ever assembled. I really liked Minghella's other films, The Talented Mr. Ripley had great acting and beautiful cinematography and The English Patient was a wonderful adaptation of the book. I will be seeing this opening day.

Yep

now I love Talented Mr. Ripley...thats a great flick...but English Patient was the most pretentious movie ever made!

It doesn't look terrible, but it certainly is a movie that seems made exclusively for members of AMPAS instead of the moviegoing public, much like Chicago was last year. I might see it, if only to see how badly Anthony Minghella mangles the book.

Hmm...a Civil War movie starring a Brit and an Aussie...I'll pass.

Yeah...I forgot about the atrocity that was Chicago...another film that was complete and total shite...everyone I know hated it...and yet it makes a s**tload a money and wins awards...what crap!

Probably to people who want ROTK to win so bad, yes. As for me, it looks ok, but I'm not rushing out to go see it.

Cold Mountain
 

Saw a screening of Cold Mountain last night.

I really enjoyed it. Beautifully made, very well directed, good story and excellent performances all around.

I knew I liked the cast, but I didn't care for The English Patient, so I wasn't sure what to expect.

I really liked the structure of the film. Opened on a battle scene, flashed back a few years, then back and forth until the timelines merged. But even with all of that flashing around, it was easy to follow. Very well paced and edited.

My favorite film of the year was "Finding Nemo" until a couple of weeks ago. Then it was "The Last Samuri." As of today, it's "Cold Mountain." (After this weekend, I expect it to be ROTK.)

I give it an A-.

*puke*

Sorry to make you vomit, Qui Gon. Guess the lack of Jedi in this film is a turn-off for you. But on the upside, Queen Amidala/Padme does have a nice role in it.

That's cool, the movie looks really well made but incredibly dull to me. As such I'll prolly be skipping it, but good that you liked it - it seems the director really pushed to make it all he could, I don't know what the means really for viewers (I liked Talented Mr. Ripley and never saw English Patient) and it's cool that Miramax stood by it despite the fact the other studios/coproducers dropped out and ultimately ate the $100m bill.

Can't wait to see this one. Also, I think the three other best films I've seen this year are "The Last Samurai", "Matchstick Men" and "LOTR: The Return of the King".

I too am looking forward to this one.

Looks great to me, and I love the book and really look forward to it. Unlike too many people around here, I don't feel like I need to create a "Cold Mountain vs. LOTR" "thing". I loved "ROTK," but "Cold Mountain" is a totally different kind of movie IMHO. (OK, they're both war-based epics, I guess)

The first time I had ever heard of Cold Mountain was in a trailer, and I thought it looked like a big piece of cow dung. I was shocked when I heard this thing was seriously being considered for awards.

I actually love The English Patient, but I'll definitely skip this one.

I loved the cast and I enjoy period piece films...but I loathed "The English Patient".

I will most likely wait and watch "Cold Mountain" when it is released on DVD.

Did you not see the elves and orcs in Cold Mountain?

Cold Mountain looks horrid IMO. I'll give it a chance, but Nicole's breathy overacting looks to be at it's most annoying in this movie.

I also can't stand Renee. She sounds like a complete idiot when she's whining about "them that says that the war makes it rain, and then they stand in the rain and say it's raining!" Or whatever that line is.

Maybe it will surprise me but I'm not sure I can handle 2+ hours of that voice and that face. Ugh.

My g/f wants to see it, so if i hear that it features bloody battle scenes i may take her.
I'm sure the sappy love story wil keep her entertained ......
Kidman and that pucker faced girl's souther accents are laughably bad though...

When Ebert and Roeper reviewed it, they said there was one really intense battle set piece that was comparable to Saving Private Ryan.

I bet you don't have a problem with films starring American actors portraying non-American characters though, do you?

I doubt Cold Mountain will be 'crap,' but I doubt very highly that it will be any better than most of Miramax's recent 'Oscar feed,' which is to say mediocre to good at best. In the same way that larger studios chase after teenagers' dollars Miramax have become complete award show whores and they are revolting. They seem to have a formula like so: literary or theatrical property + fawned-over star with not that much drawing power + 'highbrow' hack + relentless campaigning = Golden Man.

At first, I didn't think much of it. With each passing day, I tend to change my mind a bit more in favor of it.

neale, was this in Birmingham, AL? The reason I ask is when I was up there for Trilogy Tuesday, a lady from Miramax was giving out invites to a Thursday screening of Cold Mountain, and said at first that Anthony Minghella (the director) would be in attendance. But when I pressed her about it later, she admitted he may not be. If you did see it in Bham, was he there?