Director
Maria Schrader

Starring
Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan and Patricia Clarkson

By now we all know the story of Harvey Weinstein, who for decades used his influence and position of power to sexually harass and bully numerous women in Hollywood. From office workers at his Miramax Studios, through to A-list actresses, no one was safe from his grotesque, predatory actions. Given what we already know, many would ask the question; ‘do we need a film detailing how his deeds became public knowledge’? The answer is a resounding YES. She Said is a powerful and impactful detailing of the hardworking journalists who helped bring down one of Hollywood’s true goliaths. A man that sycophants like Meryl Streep had referred to as ‘God’ in awards acceptance speeches, and someone whom the elites of the industry helped protect for years.

With the screenplay written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz who has strong form in bringing powerful stories to the screen, including the TV mini-series Small Axe and films such as Disobedience and Collette, this impressive true story of journalists Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) and Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) was always going to be in good hands. Detailing the beginning of the New York Times investigation into the allegations against Weinstein, through to the moment of publication of the exposé which brought upon the downfall of the powerful producer, She Said is a compelling and emotive journey.

Despite knowing the outcome of the story before going into this film, learning the minutiae of the work that went into bringing this abuse of power to the publics’ attention is something to behold. The amount of women who had been silenced for decades, finally having a voice to share their stories is beautiful thing to witness whilst also having the ability to incite such rage that they were silenced for so long. The amount of people who had allowed this to happen makes you feel sick as it’s played out before your eyes. An interesting and somewhat uncomfortable quirk of this film is that one of its producers (ironically) is Brad Pitt. A man with a great deal of his own power in Hollywood who knew very well what Weinstein was up to, having been the partner of Gwyneth Paltrow through her years of harassment and then married to Angelina Jolie who had also been victimized by Weinstein in her formative years in the industry. Not only did Pitt stay silent to Weinstein’s actions, but also dismissed his behavior citing that his experiences with the producer has been positive, and continued to work with the abuser. He was one of many Hollywood elite that seemingly condoned these assaults on women and allowed it to happen for so long. It seems somewhat hypocritical and off-putting that he is now profiting from the criticism of the abuse. Is Pitt really that tone deaf, or is this an act of atonement for his years of inaction?

Despite that unsavory connection to the film, She Said is a wonderfully well put together, gripping story. There are a number of obvious similarities to a former best picture winner in Spotlight, and whilst this film narrowly falls short of those lofty heights, it certainly holds itself in high esteem for this thrilling sub-genre. The performances of Kazan and Mulligan are pitch perfect, and the support from Patricia Clarkson and Andre Braugher as senior editors of the New York Times are perfectly nuanced. There are a number of memorable performances from the likes of Samantha Morton and Jennifer Ehle, but perhaps the most profound inclusion in the film is the presence of Ashley Judd as herself. Judd’s involvement in the investigative piece and her role in the entire #MeToo movement cannot be understated. Her bravery to publicly condemn Weinstein and be a face for all of the women who were subjected to his abuse needs to be celebrated.

Whilst the performances are incredible, and the story does show the dedication and hard work from the journalists at the centre of the piece, the real strength of this film is how the true heroes of the story are the women who survived this abuse and bravely let their stories be shared when they knew that so many people would be out to discredit them.

She Said is a brilliant, must-see film that will be right in contention this awards season.