Chick Flicks, Part 2

Considerably better than Domino or Elizabethtown, but still with some problems of its own, is North Country.

I'm glad I'm not a marketing person at Warner Bros. because I'm not sure how anyone could convince large numbers of people to see a film about a 1989 landmark sexual harassment case involving female mine workers in Minnesota. And I'm not really going to try to sell you on it here. The movie isn't successful or smart enough to overcome its why-this-why-now hurdles, in fact it sabotages itself dramatically in a few bizarre ways, but it's very nearly redeemed by a stellar cast who almost all deliver very solid work.

This is the kind of movie that immediately stirs up Oscar talk and once again Charlize Theron is remarkable in her commitment to a role, even if once again the movie lets her down. Taking Theron's performance simply for what it is, a credible and smart portrayal of an ordinary woman in extraordinary circumstances, she provides the movie's most compelling reason to be seen. Unlike her work in Monster, it's not one of those performances that is bigger (although it certainly is better) than the movie itself. I'm glad to see Theron, a perpetually underrated actress even post-Oscar, working at this level.

The fine supporting cast includes Frances McDormand (doing a minor variation on her Fargo accent and investing a stock character with an incredible amount of charm and credibility), Woody Harrelson, Sissy Spacek, Sean Bean and Richard Jenkins, who plays Theron's father and gives a sort of breakthrough dramatic performance that stands with his work in Six Feet Under and Flirting with Disaster as one of his best. It's really too bad he's not in more of the film. (It's also disappointing to see Jeremy Renner, so complex and creepy as the notorious serial killer in Dahmer, in the thinly-drawn role of primary sexual harasser.)

It's admirable that director Niki Caro chose to follow up her international breakthrough Whale Rider with this for her first Hollywood project but I wish she would find material better suited to her strong visual sense. Twice now she's delivered films that don't honestly earn their "you-go-girl!" audience cues.

Dramatically this movie cheats all over the place. McDormand and Jenkins are both so good that I didn't mind the goofy audience-manipulating nature of their characters, at least not so much. But eventually the movie sidetracks itself from its central issue and loses itself in a third-act flashback revelation seemingly designed to provide a stronger dramatic punch to the courtroom scenes. Yet it's such an unnecessary twist that all of a sudden the movie turns into an episode from The Practice's unfortunate later seasons. It's an awkward reveal and the courtroom scenes only grow more ridiculous after that.

Up to that point North Country comes across as noble but dull. Well-acted but shrug inducing. The subject matter never feels urgent, and although it's remarkable (and frightening) that all of this happened just a little over 15 years ago the filmmakers aren't able to find a way to make it matter for two hours on screen.

There's a rather unexpected antidote to all these underwhelming female-driven movies. Even with a strong pedigree, I wasn't expecting to enjoy In Her Shoes as much as I ultimately did.

The movie is probably the most chick flick-y of all these films (all the major characters are women and the primary issues are family and relationships) but it's the sort of smart, enjoyable entertainment for adults that makes such semi-condescending terms seem irrelevant. You don't need a vagina to like the movie, you just need a brain.

There is actually a man at the center of this, director Curtis Hanson, who continues his impressive career transformation from the go-to guy for thrillers like Bad Influence and The Hand That Rocks the Cradle to the helmer of diverse prestige projects L.A. Confidential, Wonder Boys and 8 Mile. Clearly Hanson is no longer interested in repeating himself. All his recent movies have in common is good acting, polished filmmaking and a commitment to story. I wouldn't place In Her Shoes at the same high level as his previous three films but it's a welcome addition to his body of work.

The movie may not have been as good without Hanson behind the camera but three very different, very interesting actresses do their part in front of the camera. The film's marketing tried, in part, to sell the movie on Cameron Diaz in a bathing suit and skimpy clothes but there's a lot more to her performance than that. I don't think anyone would claim Diaz is one of the best actresses of her generation but compare her career to many of her peers and you'll see a rare commitment to interesting projects (The Sweetest Thing excepted). Contrary to her ditzy reputation Diaz is clearly interested in doing good work, and she delivers here.

But Diaz's character is purposefully a little shallow and although she holds up her end it's not really her movie. Toni Collette has the great, juicy showcase role and makes the most of it. She's often thought of as an ace supporting, or character, actress but when Collette takes the lead (as in Muriel's Wedding, Clockwatchers or Japanese Story) the results are always fascinating. In a rather unspectacular year for lead actresses, Collette delivers a truly wonderful performance.

Yet even Collette is outdone by veteran Shirley MacLaine, who at age 70 adds another great role to her cinematic legacy. It takes awhile for her character to arrive in the story but once she does the film really takes off (this is a movie that requires, and rewards, audience patience). Although her character is a grandmother and lives in a retirement community, and although there's some of the best old folks humor since The Golden Girls, the most interesting thing about MacLaine's performance is the way that it's not defined by age. This isn't a typical senior citizen role, or even typical MacLaine (the character couldn't be further from her feistier turns in Steel Magnolias, Postcards from the Edge and Terms of Endearment). It's a potent reminder of both MacLaine's talents and the lack of compelling older characters in Hollywood films.

Considering the fine work of the actresses and the director it's difficult to say how much credit should go to Susannah Grant's script (adapted from a book that I've heard is pretty straight forward chick-lit) but following Erin Brockovich with this is either impressive work or very good luck (she'll make her directorial debut next year on a project starring Jennifer Garner and Timothy Olyphant).

There are many other good things about In Her Shoes (including supporting performances from Mark Feuerstein, Ken Howard, Brooke Smith, Francine Beers and Richard Burgi), and I'd recommend it to anyone. Chick or not.