LFF 2022: She Said
The reporters who broke the Harvey Weinstein scandal are the subject of this straightforwardly told drama that stumbles under the weight of its capital 'I' importance
Maria Schrader’s follow-up to the incandescent I’m Your Man is an excellently acted and competently constructed film that nonetheless stumbles under the weight of its capital 'I' importance. She Said follows New York Times reporter Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) as they join forces on a new investigation into workplace sexual harassment with their eyes on the biggest man in Hollywood: Harvey Weinstein.
Mulligan and Kazan’s double act of grit and heart work marvellously in scenes dramatising investigations – both with victims and with Weinstein’s nebulous team of enablers. These are delivered with a straightforward, process-focused lens that avoids salaciousness and centre on journalistic rigour, though are undercut somewhat by Nicholas Britell’s overly-heroic score. While consistently compelling, it feels too soon for such a film; the story broke barely five years ago, and many film audiences followed this investigation from breaking news to outcome.
The film also, unfortunately, seems to trade in film industry insider knowledge to the detriment of the trauma at its centre. Weinstein's insistence to keep 'Gwyneth' out of the New York Times report, for example, is played almost with a knowing wink. The results feel less impactful than previous awards season procedurals such as Spotlight – and ultimately less compelling than the original reporting.
A note on this 'Gwyneth': when Paltrow came forward, she noted her partner at the time, Brad Pitt, stood up to Weinstein. More recently, Pitt has been on a rehabilitative PR tour after details of his abusive behaviour toward his ex-wife Angelina Jolie and their children came to light. His name among the film's executive producers feels uncomfortably like damage control as his own behaviour is swept under the carpet. In the end, is She Said a story of courage straightforwardly told, or a self-congratulatory tome as the cycle of violence continues?
She Said had its UK premiere at London Film Festival and is released 25 Nov by Universal