‘It was like he took my voice that day…’
Sometimes, all the elements of a film are good but for some reason, the finished product just doesn’t pop. She Said is a compelling and worthy story. It features two leads at the top of their game in the shape of Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan. Maria Schrader’s direction is unshowy and competent, allowing the story to take centre stage. Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s screenplay handles what is obviously sensitive material with grace and warmth. And yet…
Two intrepid journalists break the #MeToo scandal after discovering the horrific extent of Harvey Weinstein’s insidious crimes. Megan Twohey (Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Kazan) start off working for different publications on different stories but eventually realise that this conspiracy requires cooperation if it is to be exposed.
In a particularly haunting moment, Schrader uses an actual recording of Weinstein trying to persuade young actress Ambra Battilana Gutierrez to accompany him to his hotel room, but these powerful moments are few and far between. Compared to something like Spotlight, She Said spends too much time explaining the finer details of print journalism and not enough time on the culture that allowed these hideous crimes to take place. It also feels that this film has perhaps arrived a little too soon. Sure, Weinstein is now rotting behind bars, but the #MeToo movement still feels like a living breathing thing, and there are surely more reckonings to be had both in Hollywood and beyond. For that reason, She Said doesn’t feel like the comprehensive retelling that it should.
She Said was clearly primed for awards season, but on this occasion, there is a nagging feeling that the Academy has done the right thing in not recognising Schrader’s film. While it certainly isn’t a bad film, and it’s worth watching for Mulligan’s sharp insouciance alone, it’s not a great film either. A missed opportunity.