She Said (2022)

[Eric the Fall Guy]

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[filmlover]

An involving look behind the extensive and exhaustive investigation that brought about the deserved, long overdue downfall of one of Hollywood's most powerful figures that deserves a place on the list of well-made movies about the work of investigative journalists. While there may not be anything especially new here for those who closely followed every last detail of this scandal a mere five years ago, director Maria Schrader nonetheless provides a compelling depiction of the hard work these two women did in bringing to light the truth that was hidden behind threats and NDAs for so long. It also provides a human portrait of these reporters as working moms who put everything on the line. Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan are both excellent: I don't see Oscar nominations for either but they accomplish bringing Twohey and Kantor to life with determined performances devoid of histrionics. While it's their movie, there are solid performances across the board, with especially memorable turns from Jennifer Ehle and Samantha Morton (whose lone scene might be the best in the movie) as once-promising individuals in the industry whose careers were stomped out by Harvey, as well as a surprisingly large role for Ashley Judd as herself (Weinstein is not featured whatsoever beyond an actor voicing him via phone calls in a few scenes + one scene of him entering a building from behind - Edit: just discovered that Harvey himself actually is in the movie because the audio of an unsettling conversation with one of his accusers - which hauntingly plays over images of empty hallways - is the original). It's not a perfect movie: the opening section that tries to tie Trump with Weinstein feels clumsy in doing so, there are times where it feels rushed and could've used a longer format (though the fast pace means it's never boring), and it lacks the certain spark that would take it to the more harrowing level of something like Spotlight. But what it accomplishes most importantly is that it never forgets about Weinstein's victims and gives them a voice, and this succeeds at acknowledging the women whose courage launched a movement that is still being felt beyond Hollywood and across every industry in the world even half a decade later. B+

Edited November 20, 2022 by filmlover

[Webslinger]

Behind strong performances and sharp writing, She Said works well as a compelling procedural. In exploring the hurdles to publishing the article that finally broke the news of Harvey Weinstein’s decades-long history of abuse, director Maria Schrader crafts a moving, mostly riveting study of the difficulties in revisiting trauma, the ways in which various institutions are built to protect abusers, and the necessity of courageous journalists in bringing the truth to light. It’s admittedly territory that past films have covered better (in particular, it comes up short in comparison to Spotlight in numerous areas), but Schrader wisely builds scenes around the powerful, heartrending stories of women (plus the occasional man with a guilty conscience) who agree to speak to the two lead reporters; veteran character actors Samantha Morton and Jennifer Ehle especially stand out with brief but crushing contributions to the proceedings. In the lead parts, Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan both do smart, committed, and subtle work where their tenacity in their jobs and outrage at what they learn register powerfully. It’s perhaps not as monumental a film as the subject matter deserves, but She Said resonates as a needed and compelling exploration of the lasting pain inflicted by one of the industry’s cruelest and most powerful men, and the need to hold the powerful accountable no matter the cost.

 

B+