North Country
Josie, a divorced mother of two, is hired as a worker in the iron mines of her hometown in Minnesota. The male workers, seeing the female staff as intruders, sexually harass them in an attempt to discourage them. Josie sues the company, but the other female workers are afraid to follow her, worried they will lose their jobs.
Based on a true story, the film was released in 2005 with an excellent cast. Charlize Theron stands out, receiving outstanding reviews for her performance and earning another nomination for Best Actress.
There are also strong performances from Frances McDormand, who was likewise nominated for Best Supporting Actress, Sissy Spacek, Woody Harrelson and Sean Bean.
It is a film that highlights the courage of the women who defied the discriminatory working conditions in the Minnesota mines and set new legal precedents with the first class action sexual harassment lawsuit in the United States.
Although the film features well crafted characters, there are moments that feel slightly underwritten, such as the final resolution of the court battle, which lowers the overall impact. Some viewers may also be put off by the more documentary style approach, which gives the impression of an otherwise polished television production.
The Assessment
The film centers on a couple living in a land devastated by climate change, seeking approval to have a child. To obtain it, they must undergo a seven day evaluation under the supervision of an assessor. What begins as a routine process soon turns into a psychological nightmare, as the couple is pushed to its limits through a series of chilling and unfamiliar situations. At the end of the evaluation, they will either earn the right to become parents or be permanently rejected. I genuinely wonder if the wider audience knows this film, but let’s take a look at how it felt to me.
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• I love Elisabeth Olsen, and I would say she is excellent here in what she is asked to deliver.
• I will give it credit for having an interesting initial concept, though the execution has issues.
• Atmospheric direction.
• Some quite intriguing scenes.
• Alicia Vikander is also very good, with a demanding role.
• For some inexplicable reason, I liked the ending. It didn’t have the conventionality I expected.
• Minimalistic yet imposing.
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• It is rather muddled in terms of what it wants to say, and the script drags noticeably in the middle.
• Boring in parts.
• One of those very particular films that will divide viewers, you will either like it or “hate” it.
• Very very slow paced (not always a bad thing, but here it didn’t work for me).