Critic Reviews
North Country (2005) Rank 3 Reviews
Expert Review Summary
based on (286) reviews
Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating
Poor
0
(0)
Reviews by Score:
Baltimore City Paper (Ian Grey)
San Francisco Chronicle (Ruthe Stein)
ToxicUniverse.com (John Nesbit)
Steve Rhodes <Steve.Rhodes@internetreviews.com>
Even with a stellar lead performance byCharlize Theron,North Countryis a movie ultimately unable to overcome a trifurcated split personality that makes it part earnest issue movie, part effective family drama, and part opportunity for a number of ...read the complete North Country movie review at Steve Rhodes <Steve.Rhodes@internetreviews.com>
Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten)
The Movie Chicks
DVD Clinic (J. Andrew Hosack)
CHUD (Devin Faraci)
Niki Caro is one of the brightest and best directors working. ...read the complete North Country movie review at CHUD (Devin Faraci)
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Jack Garner)
North Country , a potent (if didactic) drama, loosely based on a landmark court case involving workplace sexual harassment. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (Jack Garner)
Hero Realm (Stefan Halley)
You may as well chalk up another Oscar nomination for Theron, because she gives a stellar performance. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Hero Realm (Stefan Halley)
Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
Niki Caro, director of Whale Rider , has made a classic underdog-vs.-the-system story, rendered in the harsh blue-grays of a Minnesota winter. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Orlando Sentinel (Roger Moore)
Variety (David Rooney)
An emotionally potent story told with great dignity. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Variety (David Rooney)
Metro Weekly (Washington, DC) (Randy Shulman)
For all its issue-related fist pumping, the movie is suffused with the tender and heartwarming story of a man coming to terms with the love for his only daughter. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Metro Weekly (Washington, DC) (Randy Shulman)
Supercala.com (John Venable)
A solid film that's worth seeing in the theater, but the Oscar buzz is questionable. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Supercala.com (John Venable)
filmcritic.com (David Levine)
paints some of the most shocking and loathsome landscapes of sexual harassment conceivable ...read the complete North Country movie review at filmcritic.com (David Levine)
Chicago Reader (J.R. Jones)
Charlize Theron, in nonglam mode, dominates this powerful drama about sexual harassment at a Minnesota iron ore mine in the early 90s. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Chicago Reader (J.R. Jones)
The Onion (A.V. Club) (Tasha Robinson)
The story of America's first successful class-action sexual-harassment lawsuit may sound dull, but Caro ratchets up the intensity until every flung epithet and threat stings. The approach is sometimes shrill, but it's effective. ...read the complete North Country movie review at The Onion (A.V. Club) (Tasha Robinson)
Slate (David Edelstein)
Powerful and then some. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Slate (David Edelstein)
Washington Post (Ann Hornaday)
An engrossing, well-crafted story of a grave injustice avenged, hitting all the right notes of sympathy, outrage and, finally, relief. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Washington Post (Ann Hornaday)
Orlando Weekly (Ian Grey)
DVD Review e-zine
Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten)
A welcome and appropriate treat is the flurry of Bob Dylan tunes that can be heard playing in the background of this northern Minnesota story. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Austin Chronicle (Marjorie Baumgarten)
Nehring The Edge
NP2k - DVD Review (Chad Peter)
Entertainment Insiders (Rusty White)
Sacramento News & Review (Bob Grimm)
Cineclub-Filmkritik
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Stirring and emotionally forceful. ...read the complete North Country movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
UKscreen (Jason Korsner)
Empire Movies (Liam Cullin)
Window to the Movies (Jeffrey Chen)
Cinema Signals by The Filmiliar Cineaste
Fantastica Daily (Chuck O'Leary)
Often plays like a widescreen made-for-television movie, albeit a good one. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Fantastica Daily (Chuck O'Leary)
Miami Herald (Rene Rodriguez)
Despite its serious subject matter, North Country is a crowd-pleaser at heart. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Miami Herald (Rene Rodriguez)
Premiere (Stephen Saito)
There is something almost reverential about the way director Niki Caro shoots the winding roads leading into Minnesota's North Country mining community, just before dismantling all of it piece by piece. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Premiere (Stephen Saito)
USA Today (Mike Clark)
The milieu here is unforgiving, which makes fighting for basic rights important. You get a sense of why Bob Dylan -- who performs on this soundtrack -- wanted to bolt this frigid part of the map. ...read the complete North Country movie review at USA Today (Mike Clark)
San Francisco Chronicle (Ruthe Stein)
Richard Jenkins gives the standout supporting performance, worthy of Oscar consideration, as Josey's father, a miner unable to conceal his anger at his daughter for having a child out of wedlock and, now, creating dissension at his workplace. ...read the complete North Country movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Ruthe Stein)
Kansas City Star (Robert W. Butler)
Holding it all together is director Caro, who seems to have a knack for immersing herself in different cultures and finding the pressure points that release a story’s power. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Kansas City Star (Robert W. Butler)
Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)
Feature films about sexual harassment are hardly a dime a dozen, so Niki Caro's North Country —gawky though it may be at times—comes as welcome. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Groucho Reviews (Peter Canavese)
Sacramento Bee (Carla Meyer)
Rewarding and sensitively rendered, the studio-produced North Country might revive a worthy subgenre last visited, in tarted-up fashion, by Erin Brockovich. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Sacramento Bee (Carla Meyer)
Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies (Nell Minow)
Instead of sticking to the undeniably moving facts, this movie veers off into distracting and soapy subplots. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Movie Mom at Yahoo! Movies (Nell Minow)
Oregonian (Marc Mohan)
Director Niki Caro was a critical darling for her first feature, Whale Rider, and her Hollywood debut confirms a legitimate talent. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Oregonian (Marc Mohan)
Contra Costa Times (Randy Myers)
North Country is without question a riveting and powerful film. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Contra Costa Times (Randy Myers)
San Jose Mercury News (Bruce Newman)
Theron has once again deglamorized herself for a meaty dramatic role, and she gives a persuasive performance that surely will not be overlooked during the coming award season. ...read the complete North Country movie review at San Jose Mercury News (Bruce Newman)
Charlotte Weekly (Sean O'Connell)
The performances enhance (Niki) Caro’s David-versus-Goliath material. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Charlotte Weekly (Sean O'Connell)
TheMovieBoy.com (Dustin Putman)
A realistic, emotionally resonant film made for grown-up audiences in a time when most theatrical releases are aimed at the teen demographic. ...read the complete North Country movie review at TheMovieBoy.com (Dustin Putman)
San Antonio Express-News (Larry Ratliff)
(Charlize) Theron's Josey doesn't quite have the dramatic starch of Aileen, the man-hating hooker of Monster. It has more nuance, though. ...read the complete North Country movie review at San Antonio Express-News (Larry Ratliff)
Miami Herald (Rene Rodriguez)
Despite its serious subject matter, North Country is a crowd-pleaser at heart. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Miami Herald (Rene Rodriguez)
San Francisco Chronicle (Ruthe Stein)
North Country delivers an emotional wallop and a couple of performances worthy of recognition come award time. ...read the complete North Country movie review at San Francisco Chronicle (Ruthe Stein)
Minneapolis Star Tribune (Jeff Strickler)
Caro knows how to push viewers' buttons, and she does so every chance she gets. The weather in the movie might be chilly, but she makes sure our blood is boiling. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Minneapolis Star Tribune (Jeff Strickler)
Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
Leave it to Theron and her impassioned, earthy performance to single-handedly carry the film from the realm of Lifetime network social propaganda to earnest drama. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
Scene-Stealers.com (Eric Melin)
North Country has a ton of powerful moments, so it is an odd choice that it falls back on the 'based in fact' element. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Scene-Stealers.com (Eric Melin)
Movie Habit (Marty Mapes)
A strong film with much to recommend it, even if we've seen the same movie before ...read the complete North Country movie review at Movie Habit (Marty Mapes)
Star-Democrat (Easton, MD) (Greg Maki)
... Full of dynamic performances. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Star-Democrat (Easton, MD) (Greg Maki)
eFilmCritic.com (Erik Childress)
Depicted with minimal cliché-rattling, Niki Caro’s North Country is one-sided enough to make Clarence Thomas stand up and shout – 'Now THAT is some sexual harassment.' ...read the complete North Country movie review at eFilmCritic.com (Erik Childress)
Christianity Today (Camerin Courtney)
Though tough and heavy-handed at times, North Country is engaging -- not one of those films about an important subject matter that you feel you should watch. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Christianity Today (Camerin Courtney)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Duane Dudek)
An earnest yet powerful cautionary tale of scarred and strip-mined lives, and how they are restored. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Duane Dudek)
San Diego Union-Tribune (David Elliott)
Caro is both subtle and a deck-stacker. ...read the complete North Country movie review at San Diego Union-Tribune (David Elliott)
Movie Parables (Michael Elliott)
McDormand's strength of character shines through her scenes even as the strength of her character begins to diminish. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Movie Parables (Michael Elliott)
South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Phoebe Flowers)
Director Niki Caro ( Whale Rider ) - - can make an intelligent, involving movie about sexism in the workplace without it feeling merely like a screeching, heavy-handed polemic. ...read the complete North Country movie review at South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Phoebe Flowers)
St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul))
Director Niki Caro, whose Whale Rider demonstrated a gift for capturing the essence of a unique place, does it again with North Country . ...read the complete North Country movie review at St. Paul Pioneer Press (Chris Hewitt (St. Paul))
Toronto Star (Peter Howell)
If there was ever any thought that perhaps Whale Rider was a fluke, North Country should erase all doubt. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Toronto Star (Peter Howell)
Worcester Telegram & Gazette (Daniel M. Kimmel)
North Country shows us that it’s never easy, but that one person really can make a difference. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Worcester Telegram & Gazette (Daniel M. Kimmel)
Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
North Country is in the tradition of workers-rights films like Norma Rae and Silkwood in that it sends its message through a convincing character whose temerity and courage are accompanied by less heroic baggage. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Detroit Free Press (Terry Lawson)
Palo Alto Weekly (Susan Tavernetti)
Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)
She's [Caro] got a good story to tell (based, loosely, on a real-life case), and a marvelous cast to help her tell it. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Seattle Times (Moira MacDonald)
WaffleMovies.com (Willie Waffle)
North Country is one of those movies that has Oscar-bait written all over it, and it's worthy of the praise. ...read the complete North Country movie review at WaffleMovies.com (Willie Waffle)
Three Movie Buffs (Scott Nash)
Mark Reviews Movies (Mark Dujsik)
Palo Alto Online (Susan Tavernetti)
Film Threat, Hollywood's Indie Voice
New York Daily News (Jack Mathews)
North Country may be a simplistic account of a hard-won battle, but it will have audiences cheering. ...read the complete North Country movie review at New York Daily News (Jack Mathews)
La Presse, Montréal
Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
One should always take a movie that starts off with an "Inspired by a true story" blurb with a grain of salt, as the creative forces behind the film are basically admitting that they are going to be making liberal changes in the events of a true ...read the complete North Country movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
hybridmagazine.com
North Country is the first American feature from Niki Caro, the gifted New Zealand director of Whale Rider. Once again, Caro proves that she is one of the finest young talents today at depicting a family’s inner struggles, moving us with simplicity and ...read the complete North Country movie review at hybridmagazine.com
Scott's Movie Reviews (Scott Mantz)
ViewLondon (Matthew Turner)
Bucket Reviews (Danny Baldwin)
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
In the tradition of Norma Rae and Silkwood, North Country is the story of one woman's struggle against an inflexible corporation. Despite some third-act flaws that weaken the conclusion, North Country does what it sets out to do: inspire and uplift. It al ...read the complete North Country movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (Ed Blank)
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Overcooked and simplistic in spots. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Seattle Post-Intelligencer
The Land of Eric (Eric D. Snider)
DVD Talk (Preston Jones)
Reeling Reviews (Robin and Laura Clifford)
Josey Aimes (Charlize Theron, "Monster") is a single mom with two kids to feed so she turns to the hard life she grew up around, mining. Josey can endure the hard labor, but not the unfair treatment she receives because she is a woman. The strength ...read the complete North Country movie review at Reeling Reviews (Robin and Laura Clifford)
A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)
3 Black Chicks ("The Diva")
Reel.com DVD review (Ken Dubois)
Celluloid Heroes (Paul McElligott)
The opening credits for North Country claim that the movie is “inspired on a true story.” That puts in near the lower end of the Hollywood food chain for “true” stories. At the top would be the actual true stories, which are understandably rare. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Celluloid Heroes (Paul McElligott)
DVD Authority.com (Matt Brighton)
Pajiba (Daniel Carlson)
The Phantom Tollbooth
Close-Up Film (Carol Allen)
Cinema Blend (Lexi Feinberg)
TheCinemaSource.com (Steve Moreau)
The Rewind Forums DVD Review
Martin Tsai's Blog
The Cranky Critic (Chuck Schwartz)
DVD Town (John J. Puccio)
DVD Verdict (Jennifer Malkowski)
Crosswalk.com Movies (Holly McClure)
Comingsoon.net
This sets the framework for a powerful character drama with enough basis in reality to be effective on many levels. Although loosely based on Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy Gansler's novel "Class Action" about a real sexual harassment lawsuit, there's no ...read the complete North Country movie review at Comingsoon.net
Nerve (Adam Ford)
Christian Spotlight on the Movies
Planet Sick-Boy (Jon Popick)
A Nutshell Review
digitallyOBSESSED.com (Nate Meyers)
MovieFreak.com (Sara M. Fetters)
Salon.com (Andrew O'Hehir)
The problem with Seitzman's script is how predictable almost all of it feels. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Salon.com (Andrew O'Hehir)
The Hollywood Reporter (Kirk Honeycutt)
The issue of sexual politics so dominates the story that it's a relief when an emotional showdown involves family rather than workplace issues. Not so surprisingly, these are the movie's best scenes. ...read the complete North Country movie review at The Hollywood Reporter (Kirk Honeycutt)
LA Weekly (Ella Taylor)
The movie’s old-school feminism is true to its subject, and Theron proves charismatic enough to stand alone as an emblematic working-class heroine doing what she has to do without benefit of feminist theory. I’m even willing to forgive this rousing ...read the complete North Country movie review at LA Weekly (Ella Taylor)
Frank's Reel Reviews
The New Republic (Stanley Kauffmann)
But the contrast between setting and story isn't all that bars North Country from fulfillment. The major trouble is Theron. She plays Josey as well as is needed, but she is simply too beautiful. ...read the complete North Country movie review at The New Republic (Stanley Kauffmann)
Screen It! Entertainment Reviews for Parents
Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
One should always take a movie that starts off with an "Inspired by a true story" blurb with a grain of salt, as the creative forces behind the film are basically admitting that they are going to be making liberal changes in the events of a true ...read the complete North Country movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Reel Film Reviews (David Nusair)
Film Blather (Eugene Novikov)
Movies 101 (Robert Glatzer)
Modern Fabulousity (Gabriel Shanks)
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Bina007 Movie Reviews
NORTH COUNTRY gets a lot of stuff right: the cast, shooting, editing etc are all fabulous and more power to Charlize Theron and Frances McDormand for their nominations. The minutes flew by, I spent much of the flick in tears, and I really enjoyed it. ...read the complete North Country movie review at Bina007 Movie Reviews
One Guy's Opinion (Frank Swietek)
Premiere Magazine
Weekly Reviews (Nathan Weinbender) - Capsule
FromTheBalcony (Bill Clark)