This was another contender that I watched in the run-up to the Oscar nominations. By now, “journalism prestige drama” is a familiar template, and while She Said is solid, I think it struggles a little to reach beyond the bounds of its format.
This is the story of the journalists who broke the Harvey Weinstein story, opening the floodgates for the greater Time’s Up/#MeToo movement in Hollywood and beyond. Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor team up to pursue leads on this massive undertaking of a story. As they try to coax on-the-record remarks from everyone from former interns to A-list actresses, they move with determination but care, recognizing how Weinstein is breathing down the neck of anyone who might talk.
For starters, I’ll say this: the fact that this is such recent history and involves celebrities can make the film feel a bit hamstrung in terms of how to depict its characters. While there’s no issue with presenting actresses to play Megan, Jodi, and below-the-line targets of Weinstein’s harassment, Weinstein himself and his higher-profile victims present more of a challenge. Wanting to avoid coming across like a non-comedic SNL sketch with actors doing impressions, the film mostly sidesteps the question. Some actresses, like Rose McGowan, are never really shown onscreen, only heard over the phone off-camera. Others, like Gwyneth Paltrow and Ashley Judd, are played by themselves in brief appearances. As for Weinstein, he also gets the over-the-phone treatment and is shown in a few quick out-of-focus shots from behind or at a distance. I do get that it likely would’ve felt distracting to do otherwise, but it sometimes feels like the film is going out of its way to tell its story without putting critical characters onscreen.
But within those limitations, it’s a pretty good film. I like the growing sense of tension as Megan and Jodi realize just how far Weinstein’s threatening influence extends, and I appreciate that the movie explores a wide range of his many victims, not just the famous actresses. Even if that was partly a logistics choice, it’s important to hear from aspiring actresses who got drummed out the business 25 years ago, or office assistants, or on-set runners. Weinstein cast a massive net, and many women got caught in it.
Also, I think the film does a great job in finding creative, sensitive ways to dramatize these women’s stories. In one instance, we hear a recording a woman made for investigators, listening to the tape as the camera slowly moves through the hotel hallway outside the room. In another, a woman shares her experience in voiceover as the camera pans over the now-empty hotel room, taking in details like the bedsheets and the room service cart. While I understand why there are still movies and shows that choose to depict rape scenes on camera, I’ll always applaud films who can tell these stories without doing so (shoutout to Women Talking!)
On the whole, I came away from the film feeling glad I watched it, but I wouldn’t say it wowed me. Its overall quality feels solidly down the middle, with individual scenes that are more gripping or impactful. At other times, it sort of feels like it’s going through the motions, like it thinks this is the story it ought to tell rather than the one it needs to tell. Does that make sense?
Plenty of talent in the cast. Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan lead the film well as Megan and Jodi, two women with different talents and levels of experience who work together and lean on each other throughout the grueling process of chasing this story. At the New York Times office, we have Andre Braugher and Patricia Clarkson turning in nice work as their higher-ups. In addition to Paltrow and Judd playing themselves, we also hear from sources played by Samantha Morton and Jennifer Ehle, both very effective in scenes that are given plenty of room to breathe. And speaking of SNL, James Austin Johnson makes a quick audio-only cameo as Donald Trump commenting on an earlier story of Megan’s.
Warnings
Discussion of violence (including rape,) language (including sexual harassment,) drinking, and strong thematic elements.
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