She Said (2022)
She Said is the smart and entertaining film adaptation of the book written by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey about their New York Times investigation into Harvey Weinstein's misconduct.
The film, directed by Maria Schrader (Ich Bin Dein Mensch), is part of a tradition of films about investigative journalism that includes All The President's Men and Spotlight.
It gives you a clear idea how much research is involved. How often you hear 'no' as a reporter and how only perseverance wins the day.
Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan star as Twohey and Kantor respectively and both do an excellent job.
In addition, there are strong supporting roles from Patricia Clarkson as their editor and Andre Braugher as the executive in charge.
Jennifer Ehle and Samantha Morton both make an unforgettable impression in smaller roles as victims of Weinstein.
The man himself is portrayed as little as possible and that is appropriate. This is not his story, but that of his victims.
She Said is not a very visual film. The story is largely told through dialogue, but the story is strong enough to make up for that.
The film also sometimes feels like a long promo reel for The New York Times, an institution that has itself been the subject of scandals in recent years.
A broader perspective could have made the film even better. Ronan Farrow was conducting his own investigation for The New Yorker around the same time, but this only mentioned indirectly as a potential competitor for The New York Times' scoop in October 2017.
Anyway, it was the filmmaker’s decision to use only Kantor and Twohey's book for their film, and they did a good job, sticking as close as possible to reality. Which is, you know, always good in a movie that wants to tell the truth.
That other, more wide-ranging movie might still be made at some point in the future, for now this is essential viewing.
She Said shows how hard it is for women to make a name for themselves in the movie or any other world without being continuously objectified and sexualized. And let one thing be clear: it is not just about individual cases. It is the whole system that is sick. And continues to be so till this very day.
The fact that the film continues to entertain is because Schrader and screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz fill the film with feel-good moments, small victories on the way to the ultimate goal: publishing the articles that would ultimately herald Weinstein's downfall. A must see.