Nasty Women Unite
An effective tribute to the institution of the free press, Maria Schrader’s She Said traces the roots of the #MeToo movement back to a high-stakes investigation into Miramax’s super-producer, the now-incarcerated Harvey Weinstein. Told through the lens of an old-school investigative procedural, Schrader’s film is an examination of individual injustices against specific women – both familiar high-profile actresses and lesser-known assistants who suffered Weinstein’s advances equally – and the structural hierarchy put in place to protect their violators.
Following the plight of New York Times journalists Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan), She Said starts with Twohey’s investigation into allegations made against Donald Trump in the run-up to the 2016 election where – despite multiple claims of sexual misconduct and the infamous “Access Hollywood” tapes where he bragged about grabbing women by their pussies – he won the highest office in the land. As a kind of national litmus test, Americans balked on believing women. The land of the free full-throatedly shucked off the claims of the abused and kowtowed to the villainy of the strongman, even when and if their mission seemed designed solely to keep their secrets from the light.
Defeated by the realization that her reporting on Trump’s sexual misconduct had no impact on his electability, Twohey struggles to make sense of the world she’s just brought a daughter into. Hearing whispers of a series of allegations against Weinstein and payouts to his accusers, Twohey joins Kantor, who’s gotten the green light from editor Rebecca Corbot (Patricia Clarkson) to take a closer look at the case. If not for her own redemption, Twohey seeks the justice she believes good journalism is owed. They speak to a collection of Hollywood women including Ashley Judd (playing herself), Rose McGowan, Gwyneth Paltrow, and a smattering of administrative aids who didn’t have the megaphone of fame to amplify their accusations. They all have the same thing to say: it’s much worse than you could possible imagine.
Each encounter reveals another layer of abuse, a new web of victims, with Weinstein’s unwelcome advances, sexual misconduct, groping, and rape stretching back decades. There’s always something that feels a bit opportunistic when semi-recent events are turned into political dramas and with Weinstein’s very public trial only taking place two years ago, there is a sense that this is still pretty fresh. A live wound. Then again, the case is settled. The man is behind bars. Spoiler alert for those living under a rock: justice was actually served. So if now is not the time for Schrader’s film to see the light of day, when is?
Working from a well-conceived – if somewhat derivative – script from Rebecca Lenkiewicz, She Said mades the case for its existence by leaning into the hard emotional truths at the core of this case and so many others like it: abused women are made to suffer in silence. From a systemic, structural, legal, and sociopolitical perspective, abused women are doubly made a victim by systems that are not built to protect them. Legally gagged by NDAs, these women often find themselves shouldering the burden of proof. To come forward as an accuser is to risk admonishment, industry shut-outs, slut-shaming, and character assassination. No wonder it becomes such an uphill battle for Twohey and Kantor to actually get anyone to go on record.
Even the best modern investigative journalism dramas tend to be a bit “cut and paste” and She Said certainly fits the bill. Of course the details of what’s being investigated and relevant parties change but you can pretty much count on the accused running interference, hushed lounge conversations over expensive glasses of red wine, reluctant sources, and a battle-worn newsroom huddled together weighing the impact of their reporting. She Said checks all the boxes, bound to solid performances and workmanlike filmmaking in addition to actually having something to say. Effective and well made though it may be, it all feels a bit flat and one-dimensional and the ugly subject matter makes this drama a tough watch. Investigate at your own risk.
CONCLUSION: Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan join together to unspool the story behind the story of sexual predator and Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein’s downfall. ‘She Said’ is a sobering investigative procedural that pits women’s truth against strongmen lies but begs the question: did anything ever change?
