"Ada" (Nicole Kidman) lives a comfortable life on her farm with her father "Rev. Moore" (Donald Sutherland) as the American Civil War comes to a close. That's where she meets and takes a shine to "Inman" (Jude Law) who is making his way back to his Confederate troops. When the preacher dies, "Ada" finds herself having to throw the fine frills and fancies in a box and struggle to maintain the property as the winter snows set in. Luckily, along comes the savvy "Ruby" (Renée Zellweger) who agrees to stick around and help so long as both women chip in and share the load. As the women try to survive, the war concludes and "Inman" sets about retracing his steps back to North Carolina. With the conditions treacherous and the territory pretty lawless, both must face the insecurity that prevails, and that is well exemplified by the odious "Teague" (Ray Winstone) and his brutal sidekick "Junior" (Giovanni Ribisi) who are roaming the territory looking for deserters, or for those who help them out. A violent fate awaits those they meet. Anthony Mingella knits the threads of their respective adventures nicely together here, with a certain inevitability, sure, but nothing too predicable. The brutality of war, the desperation of hunger, cold and depravity as well as the more visceral human needs are all shone a light on as his journey tests both the mettle and the morality of "Inman" and of those he meets. It's probably Winstone who takes the plaudits for me here, he really does convey a palpable sense of wickedness and Zellweger also performs well as proof that women can thrive in what is meant to be a man's world. Now it is too long, and it meanders just a little labouring the point as it goes, but the action when it happens and the strongly developed characters compensate enough for that to keep it interesting and watchable.
