She Said — Movie Review
by KJ Proulx
Most people are fully aware of the scandal surrounding Harvey Weinstein. The story sparked many more Hollywood stories, as well as countless other industries. When I heard a journalism film was being made about the people who made the first story happen, I wasn’t all that interested, because I felt like I knew the story already. I’m always willing to give anything a shot though and I’m very happy I did with She Said. I think it’s actually a fantastic movie if you can accept the fact that you’re not going to get much new information out of it.
Jumping right into it without wasting a moment, She Said begins with Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) as they are already curious about this story. This film is really just about putting a face to some of the voices and exploring what their statements were. On top of that though, it’s just a very satisfying watch. Yes, you know where they’re going to end the film and that everything will work out for these protagonists, but it’s the real-life story that held my attention. I loved watching these two women exploit the horrendous things Weinstein did, especially since it was all done verbally. It made for some engaging dialogue.
Not quite as quickly paced as an Aaron Sorkin script, She Said still manages to have that feel. I went back and looked up Rebecca Lenkiewicz’s writing credits and I’ve actually not seen any of the other work, which shocked me. I really want to go and check some of her other films out. The way this film plays out is mostly on the writing and I thought that aspect was brilliant from start to finish. Maria Schrader also does a superb job directing these performers and garnering some wonderful performances. Some viewers may find this one boring, due to the fact that the majority of the film just consists of a couple of people talking in a room, but I was engaged the entire time. I didn’t think it felt its length.
She Said is a very well-made film. I wasn’t expecting much from it, but I was pleasantly surprised. It showcases these characters in a heroic light and I appreciated that. I will admit that there isn’t much here that I didn’t already know, so I can’t give it a perfect score for that reason alone, but the material it did cover I really don’t have any complaints about. Overall, I thought this film was great and I definitely recommend it. She Said is still playing in some theatres and is now available on demand.
Rating: 4.5/5
Check out the trailer below:
