In the Hollywood industry and many workplaces, women were historically taught to keep quiet and let the men take control. This all changed with the #MeToo movement. This allowed women to finally speak up about the harassment they had been facing. A lot of this began with sexual assault accusations against revered movie producer Harvey Weinstein. This led to a domino effect for other men in Hollywood. Which leads to the question, who set up the dominos? The answer to that question is found in the film “She Said.” This film focuses on the reporters who broke the story, the struggles of getting it out there and how it affected the reporters’ lives.This felt like a journalism film for the modern age. It did feel a little by-the-book and simple, but it certainly felt important.“She Said” was definitely moving and reflected what women have to deal with in this world. As of Dec. 13, this film was made available on Peacock and for rent. This film is for you if you want to see some of the problems of society and how they were exposed.
It is 2017, and The New York Times is ready to crack open a big story that will shake up the movie industry. This is a story about accusations made about Harvey Weinstein from people in the film industry—this includes accusations made by notable actresses such as Ashley Judd and Gwenyth Paltrow. New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) is taking on this story alongside fellow New York Times reporter Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan). These women dedicate their lives to finding the truth and reporting it. However, there are a lot of obstacles in their way. Most of the women that they talk to are afraid to go public, or afraid to give any sort of sound bite. Kantor and Twohey have to figure out how to convince the women to get their stories out there. They interview many women throughout this film, and these women each have their own stories and fears. The reporters are also dealing with pushback from Weinstein, who is trying to scare them out of the story. Kantor and Twohey also are writing this story while balancing their home lives and raising small children. However, these reporters will stop at nothing to make sure their story gets out there. They want to create a future where their daughters do not have to be afraid.
Many people believe that the key to a successful performance is for the performance to be flashy and showstopping. However, this does not always have to be the case. Sometimes, understated performances can help make a film a success. That is the case for “She Said.” This is a film with two leading performances, although it could be argued that Kazan’s part is bigger. Either way, neither of them try to steal the show, and that ends up working well. Kazan is able to have some emotional moments and her character’s dedication comes across very well. You want this character to succeed and Kazan is able to demonstrate why. She was not all over the place, and that is what helped show that this is a real person that had real goals. Mulligan gave a similar performance that was also wonderful. Her character was more straight-laced and muted, but her character was still very strong. Mulligan showed her character’s professional side and how hard it can be to work on these types of stories. This film was centered around these two reporters, but smaller performances really helped bring the film together. There were many characters that were supposed to be women in the industry who were emotionally hurt by Weinstein’s action. These actresses were not on the screen for long, but the actors were able to really show their hurt emotions well. Even if it was just for one scene, those actresses made the most of their time, and their portrayals showed why the story of the real people is important.
The Weinstein scandal was such an important news story when it came out, that it was hard to escape it. Because of the attention, it was interesting to see how some of the scandal started. This film gave a nice background and helped a lot of the known pieces come together. That being said, I wish there was more excitement in this story. While there was a lot of tension, this film was fully able to enthrall me every step of the way. The story felt a little plain in certain aspects. While I’m normally a fan of films that are grounded and story-driven, I just wish this film had a little bit more going on. The storytelling was a little plain, and felt very by-the-book. Some of the beats felt a little expected. However, despite all of that, I would not say that I disliked this film. I found some scenes to be quite moving and I thought it was excellent to shine a light on such an important topic. The best parts of this film were when the emotions came to play. Some scenes felt by-the-book with their facts, but the parts that shined were when the audience sees why this film, and the story, is necessary. Seeing how sexual harassment is plagueing society and how it has become normalized in Hollywood is scary to think about, and the film does not shy away from that. As a whole, this film has a decent story, but if you focus on the fear and sorrow of the women involved, the story becomes great.
When compared to journalism films of the past, it can be difficult for “She Said” to hold up and stand out. Films like “All the President’s Men” or “Spotlight” are highly regarded and hard to top. While “She Said” may not be at the top tier level, it is able to show journalism for the digital age. It shows what it is like for journalists working now and how modern technology has become a game changer—not to mention that this is a story focused on women reporters, which is certainly important. Movies in this genre don’t always focus on the women, and that’s what helps make this a unique film.
At the end of the day, the true story behind this film is why people should watch it. The events that happened changed the film industry by bringing down one of the most powerful men in Hollywood. People should know how an event this massive came to be. While this is not a film with thrills, it is a film that does not shy away from the topics that matter. The intrigue is hidden at the heart of this film. So if you want to know about the beginnings of #MeToo or you want to see female journalists in action trying to break the status quo, watch “She Said” today.
