Hollywood loves to glorify journalism, but it’s not easy onscreen success.
Endless phone calls. Leather shoes report. Reject after denial until that primary source finally becomes apparent. It’s hardly cinematic catnip.
The classic 1976 film “All the President’s Men” has the advantage of Beltway’s mischief, mysterious characters like “Deep Throat” and the end of an American presidency.
“She Said” operates with more modest resources – women sexually assaulted by movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who won’t speak up (and understandably so).
We all know justice has finally come, ending Weinstein’s reign of terror. That doesn’t stop “She Said” from telling a coherent story, one that sometimes stumbles with self-righteousness.
Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan play Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, New York Times reporters pursuing sexual abuse allegations against Weinstein. The newspaper tried and failed to deflect Donald Trump’s presidential dream by reporting on women who claimed he had sex with them.
Now, the far-left newspaper has a new goal, but getting merchandise from the Oscar-winning producer won’t be easy.
The doors were slammed in their faces. Phone calls are not returned. And even those willing to speak up, through tears and anguished laments, will not reveal their details.
The reporters refused to give up, aided by the unwavering support of their superiors (an attentive Patricia Clarkson and a father Andre Braugher).
Will they be able to curate enough sources for a successful publication, or will Weinstein’s defenses and the system that kept him in power win?
“She Said” explores how sexual predators in any field avoid trouble, from systemic regulations that prevent important details from being made public to pressure to silence the public. .
Weinstein’s demise activated flawed MeToo movementand “She Said” want us to know the fate of a single producer beyond the gilded cage of Hollywood.
That’s where Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s script stumbles time and time again. Some exchanges feel like article excerpts, patiently explaining how the “system” protects and facilitates predators. There’s a solid point here, but it forgets the old storytelling maxim.
Show, don’t say.
On the other hand, we are told of a mixture of reporters’ tenacity and their family lives, purposefully intertwined to personify our heroines.
It works.
Megan has just given birth to a baby girl and is experiencing postpartum depression. Jodi organizes work in a 24/7 fashion with the obligations of a wife and mother.
“She Said” refuses to turn these reporters into superheroes. An interrogation goes awry with Jodi, showing the limits of her charm. That remains the film’s most intriguing subject, the way investigative reporters muster their personal resources to get the news right.
They start with small talk, move on to general questions, and then move on to classic questions. However, every case is different, and due to the sensitive nature of the questions, they are often more like mentors than tough scribes.
It deals with Ronan Farrow’s competitive investigation, but the focus remains on the Times’ mission.
‘She Said’ look at the report already started #Me too and take out Harvey Weinstein https://t.co/Rg4cvk85O0
– things to do in the center (@azcthingstodo) November 16, 2022
Weinstein himself barely appears on screen, heard several times and glimpsed in the third act. We don’t need his physical presence. He’s the villain of the movie, and every aspect of the story screams why.
Press Hollywood’s heart, and it always has. The fact that the industry has frozen in recent years is not a factor in the story. It’s an omission, but the hard work Megan and Jodi brought to the case deserves credit, regardless of the context.
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Of course, the film never addresses Weinstein’s deep Democratic ties, and only flirts with the fact that many Hollywood residents already know something (or more) about his actions. (One such star, Brad Pitt, act as a producer on the film)
And they whispered silently.
Breaking that silence and giving women a template for the future, is why prosecuting Weinstein is so important. It’s clear that some of the monsters will go unnoticed and others won’t be breathed out by tenacious reporters like the real-life Times duo.
Hit or miss: “She Said” delivers a compelling story of journalism done right, all in the service of women who deserve justice against the mass predator.
