She Said Movie Review: Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan’s Powerful Performances Lead This Hard-Hitting Tale on the Harvey Weinstein Scandal (LatestLY Exclusive)

She Said Movie Review: When the #MeToo movement found its inception in 2016, it shook the film industry to its core. With the huge ousting of Miramax’s leader Harvey Weinstein who was accused by 85 women of sexual assault and intimidation, the industry saw a chain reaction of events that saw the revealing of many abusers and enablers. At its basic concept, She Said, directed by Maria Schrader, is about the investigation of Weinstein’s misconduct towards women by two of New York Times’ investigative journalists, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey. They are portrayed in absolute juggernaut of performances by Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan respectively. She Said: Universal Unveils First Look of Harvey Weinstein Movie at 2022 CinemaCon.

If you have watched the film Spotlight, then you will see that She Said is very much similar in its execution. Beginning with Twohey investigating the Trumps' misogynistic and exploitive attitude towards women right before the 2016 election, she drops a bombshell which leads to her receiving threats of rape and more. A phone call by Trump that sees someone do a pretty good impression of America’s most controversial leader yet, it just puts forward the tone that She Said is going for. Pregnant with her kid and being devasted by the experience, Twohey is hesitant about going back to her job.

On the other side, you have Jodi Kantor, a mom with two children, and one of NYT’s finest, who finds herself a story worth telling. With Weinstein’s history of abuse becoming a recognisable pattern, she starts assembling up leads and decides to interview those affected and bring about a resolution that will hopefully bring attention to this issue. When Twohey returns to the job, she teams up with Kantor in telling this story that is by far the most important development in contemporary Hollywood’s functioning.

The story told by She Said is extremely hard-hitting. The investigation lead by Kantor and Twohey showcases the mental toll their research have on the women. The always brilliant Carrey Mulligan puts up an obsessive performance here that demands your full attention. She wants to get to the bottom of this, and the way she leads the investigation shows a great display of composure and experience that plays well into her dynamic with Zoe Kazan’s Kantor.

Watch the Trailer:

Trying to crack the case at the beginning as no one will talk to her, Kantor’s story is that of desperation. Kantor wants this story out in public and for everyone to receive the vindication they are looking for. Hearing her child say the word “rape” at a very young age, it just hits hard when you realise how normal this has become.

Being respective towards the victims too, their pain is shown with much care. While big Hollywood celebs who did share a past with Miramax, like Gwyneth Paltrow, are mentioned here, but not directly seen - She Said aims on focusing on those whose careers were destroyed in a second and were told to keep shush through an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) while a huge settlement reached their bank accounts. A scene with Samantha Morton who portrays Zelda Perkins is an immediate standout. The supporting cast of Patricia Clarkson, Andre Braugher and Jennifer Ehle also make for an impactful inclusion and keeps the film moving. The involvement of Ashley Judd, one of the first women to talk about Weinstein, definitely adds a layer of authenticity.

Aided by a brilliant score by Nicholas Britell, the scenes highlighting the interviews with the victims had me on the edge of tears in many moments. While there are moments where the fictionalisation elements added for storytelling effect do come in play, like Kantor being stalked by a black SUV, it never takes away from the experience. The film very much feels grounded and tells this story with the utmost care which feels like the goal here. Black Panther Wakanda Forever Movie Review: Tenoch Huerta, Letitia Wright Bring Their A-Game to Marvel’s Most Poignant Film Yet! (LatestLY Exclusive).

The film never feels boring and while you know the outcome, it’s still impactful enough that when you see the investigation is irking Weinstein himself, there is a certain level of accomplishment here that makes the struggles of those seem so genuine in She Said. This all ends up leading to a final scene that is one of the most deeply moving endings I have seen in a film this year.

Yay!

Carrey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan

Depiction of the Events

Nay!

Dramatisation, while limited, Can be Felt

Final Thoughts

She Said is an impactful film that handles the Weinstein Scandal with the utmost care. Packing powerful performances from Carrey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan and strong storytelling, which makes hitting the publish button on a powerful article one of the best film moments of 2022, this movie is deserving of your attention. She Said releases in theatres on November 18, 2022.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 17, 2022 04:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).