Not anymore. Seems the ‘No shoes, No Shirt, No
Service’ rule went out with moonshine. These days, you’re almost
guaranteed a spot on the red carpet if you’re a little grubbed-up, your
hair’s bordering on a web, and you’re lippy-free – just ask Charlize
Theron. After
playing the glamour-puss for most of her career, one of
Tinseltown’s tightest babes decided to go undercover as her polar
opposite – a frumpy, un-moisturised, dishevelled other, in the
film Monster, and was whisked past the velvet rope and into
the Kodak theatre quicker than you can say “…And the
winner is”. As the people of Kentucky did when they
stumbled upon the local colonel’s chicken recipe, Theron’s
found a good thing and she’s sticking to it. Once again, she
leaves the designer duds and freshly washed trestles behind for North Country,
and by golly, if she doesn’t once again divert all eyes to her
performance. If this is what a stunningly beautiful actress has to do
to get more credit for her acting chops, rather than her spectacular
storks, so be it. And what woman would complain? After all,
that’s an hour less in make-up every morning. Truth be told, Theron looks a goddess here than she did in Monster
– in which she played homicidal killer Aileen Wournos – and
though she’s supposed to be dirt poor, is dressed in third-hand
rags, and is smothered in dirt and grime for most of the film, she
still looks a doll. Luckily, her performance is just as striking
– so beauty doesn’t take anything away from that beast. Inspired by a true story (written about in the book Class Action: The Story of Lois Jensen and the Landmark Case That Changed Sexual Harassment Law by Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy), North Country
tells of a down-on-her-luck mother of two named Josey Aimes (Theron)
who returns to her hometown in Northern Minnesota after her marriage
goes boom. Desperate for work, she accepts a job at the local iron
mines – working alongside, old friend Glory (Frances McDormand)
– but discovers pretty quickly that the men that work there, rule
there. With only a handful of women on staff, the bullying blokes
find it rather easy to overawe the women – calling them names,
playing evil pranks on them, coming onto them, the list goes on.
– but Aimes decides to stand up. With the help of a kindly
lawyer (Woody Harrelson), the distraught Aimes tries to convince her
fellow female co-workers – who are reluctant to rat on their male
co-workers, for fear of losing their jobs – to take the company
to court. A thought-provoking and rather stirring film, North Country is a rare occasion when the most well-oiled performance bus in town crashes head on with a well-tuned story. The script is tight and effective, the direction (from Whale Rider’s
Niki Caro) is proficient, and most of all, the performances of Theron
– and several of the supporting characters, including Harrelson,
McDormand and the always underrated Richard Jenkins – will stick
to you like adhesive glue to a sneaker. One of the finest and most captivating films you’re likely to see this year, North Country – and Theron – deserves spectatorship. EXTRAS Extras include the featurette 'Stories from North Country', a few deleted scenes and the trailer. Conclusion:
Movie 75% Extras: 50% 
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