#MovieReview: She Said unpacks Weinstein saga

She Said is a by-the-numbers journalism movie that is saved by the weight of its subject matter.

Based on the book of the same name by New York Times journalists Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, She Said portrays the investigation into movie producer Harvey Weinstein’s sexual impropriety.

Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and Kantor (Zoe Kazan) broke the story which eventually led to Weinstein’s downfall and imprisonment after he sexually assaulted multiple employees and actresses over two decades.

It was one of the defining moments on the worldwide #MeToo movement which helped to bring thousands of abusive men to account.

She Said does an excellent job at covering the work of the two journalists, while showing how abusers were protected by a system designed to ensure no one in power was brought to book.

We meet fixers, financiers and lawyers throughout, all of whom were complicit in making payouts and drafting watertight non-disclosure agreements.

This aside from the women who found a way to speak out, but were neither widely believed nor supported.

But despite handling the subject matter sensitively, there is very little thrilling in the movie.

It is saddled with a widely-known ending and is forced to explain how investigative reporting works so that laymen audiences can understand.

Expository dialogue abounds as the layers of the film are slowly peeled away to reveal what every audience member knew was coming.

Although this is an issue that almost all journalism movies face, She Said occasionally drags on its way to the finish line in a way that the more rewatchable All the President’s Men or Spotlight do not.

Mild spoilers to follow

Where the movie works best is when it focuses on the abused women who share their stories.

Samantha Morton is typically excellent in her role as an ex-assistant of Weinstein, who delivers the best five minutes of the film when recounting her experience (expect a best-supporting actress nomination).

Jennifer Ehle has a similar role and is courted by Kantor to go on the record with her story, given she did not sign a non-disclosure agreement.

These scenes are heartbreaking but not manipulative and give proper credence to the brave women who were willing to put themselves on the line for the greater good.

She Said is a movie that contains valuable lessons for those willing to look and does well to highlight the importance of a strong and dogged Fourth Estate.

Watch it for a well-made breakdown of #MeToo’s beginnings rather than as a thrilling standalone work.

Rated 16 for Depictions of Sexual Assault and Language.
3.5/5.

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