Based on their best-selling book, She Said tells the story of New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) and Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and their investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct by Harvey Weinstein. What they discovered, beyond his horrific crimes, was a system of silence, designed to protect Weinstein by keeping his victims gagged, and his deplorable behaviour a secret.
In a world saturated with "fake news", both journalism and journalists are under fire like never before. A fact that - in my mind - makes stories like this all the more important. Now, you could argue that this is an example of Hollywood trying to absolve itself of some pretty shady practices by highlighting this story, and in the process distance itself from the guy who got caught. But shouldn't we want to highlight - even celebrate - Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, for the work they did to expose a predator, as well as the system that protected him? And what of the victims? Isn't it important to understand what they went through, so as a society we can at least attempt to eradicate this abhorrent behaviour? Maybe that's a little optimistic, possibly even naive, but nevertheless, this is a story that should be told.
However, this isn't so much the story of an evil man using his position to abuse women. Weinstein's presence is felt throughout, like a constant shiver down your spine, but he makes only a brief appearance towards the end of the movie, in the offices of the New York Times. Instead - and rightly so - She Said is the story of the women who were abused by Weinstein, and the journalists who were able to expose him. Director Maria Schrader adopts a similar storytelling style to Spotlight and All the President's Men; that of normal people working very hard to accurately report a story in the face of great opposition, and the toll it takes on their personal lives. Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan work perfectly together in the lead roles, both of whom bring a normality to their characters. The movie has a real 'David vs Goliath' feel to it, even with the incredible support the pair had from their editors (Patricia Clarkson, Frank Wood, Andre Braugher). Yet there are times when Kantor and Twohey's personal lives are as compelling and relatable as the work they are doing.
What's particularly striking - both in the book and the movie - is how hard the pair had to work to get the victims and other sources to go on the record about what had happened to them, which is indicative of the fear that Weinstein lorded over them. In some scenes the honesty and openness about what the movie producer did to both actresses and his own employees borders on brutal, but necessarily so. Schrader - like the source material - conjures a horrifying image of what these women went through without ever going overboard. She cleverly intertwines flashing images with the victims' own chilling accounts of their abuse, effectively giving them a new platform to speak out. It also gives the movie a sense of growing tension, as we inevitably become invested in the story, and the investigation builds toward that final confrontation with Weinstein, and the decision to publish. Unfortunately, and unlike the book, the movie doesn't really explore the aftermath, the response to the story. Instead, this compelling celebration of good journalism comes to a rather abrupt end immediately after publication.
A horrifying but compelling account of Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey's reporting on Harvey Weinstein and his abuse of women. By bringing this story to life in such a grounded and candid fashion, Maria Schrader does justice to the movie producer's many victims, as well as celebrating good journalism. She Said is a 'must watch' for anyone invested in the #MeToo movement.
9/10
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