This turned to be quite different from what I had expected. Supposedly your run-of-the-mill story about a soldier returning to his sweetheart during the American civil war, but it tackles so much more than that.
Human emotion in hard, depressing times is depicted very well and although Jude Law and Kidman are pretty good in their respective roles, it’s the minor performances by Natalie Portman, Renee Zelwegger and the fiddler guy (dunno his name) that make this movie what it is.
They could have added a bit more humor or made it a bit more uplifting, but that wasn’t the purpose of the movie. Movies should be judged by what they set out to do, and this one does just that: provide a bleak and depressing insight on folk in times of war.
Don’t expect a magical movie experience or to have that warm fuzzy feeling when you leave the hall. Just a movie that’s done very well and one that’ll be going to the Oscars.