Image courtesy of www.impawards.com
Director :
Niki Caro
Cast :
Charlize Theron……….Josey Aimes
Elle Peterson……….Karen Aimes
Thomas Curtis……….Sammy Aimes
Frances McDormand……….Glory
Sean Bean……….Kyle
Woody Harrelson……….Bill White
Jeremy Renner……….Bobby Sharp
Richard Jenkins……….Hank Aimes
Sissy Spacek……….Alice Aimes
James Cada……….Don Pearson
Rusty Schwimmer……….Big Betty
Linda Emond……….Leslie Conlin
Michelle Monaghan……….Sherry
Brad William Henke……….Lattavansky
Jillian Armenante……….Peg
Sexual harassment has become a bit of an unintended joke since it first came into being. It seems that the concept has come from the point where truly egregious behavior and lesser, innocuous offences are placed in the same barrel leaving a groper in the same category as the guy who tells an off-color joke a few decibels too loud. What had been something monumental has turned into something lampooned by many outlets, most famously by the creators of South Park and their “Sexual Harassment Panda.”
But the initial legal dispute that made this new law (Jenson vs. Eveleth Mines) has now been chronicled in cinematic form in North Country. While the names and some of the events have been changed, it’s an attempt at a poignant look at the sort of strength it takes to make a stand. It’s not as if there aren’t the tools around for a gripping, powerful story with some wonderful performances.
Directing is Niki Caro, most recognized for 2003’s Whale Rider. Whale Rider shared many of the same sort of themes and plot structure North Country does, so it’s easy to see how she would be a good fit. She is able to incorporate some majestic photography of northern Minnesota in the same manner as her 2003 picture, acclaimed by many critics. But the problem is that her direction is cringe worthy many times, as objectivity isn’t the name of her game; the point of view presented is entirely from the protagonist, Josey Aimes.
Charlize Theron stars as Josey, a single mother of two children (Thomas Curtis and Elle Peterson) trying to make it on her own. Having left her live-in boyfriend due to his abuse, she takes back up with her parents to try and restart her life. When working the mines with her old friend Glory (Frances McDormand) becomes a means of living on her own, as opposing to as a hairdresser with her parents, Josey straps on a helmet and goes to work with the mostly male employee core.
Needless to say they don’t take to having female employees around, as the economy is tight and they view the women as taking jobs a man should have. So they respond to the women in kind, doing many disturbing things to them in order to try and get them to quit. Working at the mine is something that becomes secondary to the harassment she faces on a daily basis; everyone (except a chosen few) resents her and her co-workers presence; they respond accordingly. Inspired by the Anita Hill hearings, Josey hires a lawyer (Woody Harrelson) and sues the mine as part of a class-action lawsuit. The story is also presented in a flashback mode, as the trial gives Josey moments of reflection upon which the story is laid out, bringing the whole truth slowly into focus.
And the story itself could’ve been quite gripping if not for the melodramatic shtick Caro tries to imbibe her film with. With Josey’s frame of reference for the film there is an absolutely one-sided perspective on the situation. All the male characters, except Bill White (Harrelson) in the film are bad, or at least part of the problem due to their inaction. It becomes almost comical after a while, which is a shame because Theron is pretty good in the lead as Josey.
It takes a lot of to play the sort of woman Josey Aimes is; it’s a unique mixture of power, strength and grace in the light of everything going around her. While Theron is no where near her performance in Monster, it is a work that shows just how good she can be when she isn’t around as mere eye candy. Theron has tremendous dramatic chops when presented with the opportunity; North Country is the right sort of vehicle except with a ham-fisted delivery where a more delicate touch would do.
