Usually the words 'inspired by a true story' send shivers up movie-goers' spines. Most films sporting that infamous tag either take too many liberties with their source material and lose the reality of the story ('The Exorcism of Emily Rose') or feel the urge to turn a simple narrative into what they hope will be the inspirational story to end all inspirational stories (Keanu Reeves' 'Hardball' and any number of biopics). 'North Country' prefers to rely on the strength of its superb acting talent to tell a story of strength and survival.
Charlize Theron plays Josie Aimes, a single mother of two who gets a job in a Northern Minnesota mine. Josie has always been the Hester Prynne of her small town. She has two children by two different men, a drunken, estranged husband and no real skills to speak of, and that is before she takes a job in the mine.
Women who work in the mines are not treated well by any means; they are objects of lust and torment for their male counterparts. Even Josie's father, a fellow mine worker, refuses to associate with her. One of the few allies the women have is Gloria, the one female member of the mining union's leadership (played by Frances McDormand in all of her 'Fargo'-Minnesota-accented glory). But even outside the mines, other women talk about the female miners behind their backs and turn a blind eye to their suffering.
Theron's character and story is a fictionalized version of that of Lois Jensen, who filed the first class-action sexual harassment suit. Theron brings depth to a character who, in most movies, would have simply been the martyred heroine who took on the machine.
However, as Josie Aimes, she shows a trait that is uncommon in many actresses of this or any other day: grit. It may seem hard to believe that a woman who is so stunning could play the role of a miner so convincingly, but Theron has shown such range in her acting in the past that we should no longer be surprised when she turns in such a pitch-perfect performance. Theron has a way of blending into whatever role she's in that pushes her performances to the next level, and she is phenomenal. Woody Harrelson does a very capable job as her lawyer who takes her case simply because it's never been done before. Most people will probably know the ending of this movie before it hits the one-hour mark, but Theron and company make you forget that you knew, and you cheer for Theron even though you know she's ultimately going to win in the end.
The direction by Niki Caro, who achieved indie film greatness with last year's 'Whale Rider,' works very well with the movie on the whole. The film lacks some of the awe-inspiring shots from her last film, but a movie like this is used almost exclusively as a narrative, and the look and the tone set by the film are secondary anyway. Caro gets the most out of her supporting cast, led by McDormand and Sean Bean ('Flightplan') and coaxes Theron to her best acting job since 'Monster.' There is little doubt that many people who worked on this film will get serious Oscar consideration when the time comes.
'North Country' doesn't always escape the traps of its genre, but the exceptional performances from its actors more than makes up for whatever excesses in emotion or inspiration it tries to create. Besides, who would want to see a true story about an inspirational hero who failed and died trying?
