Not to give him too much credibility, but when it was revealed that Harvey Weinstein was a serial sexual predator who had assaulted countless women through executing his authority as arguably the most powerful producer in Hollywood since the height of the studio system, the entire entertainment industry was suitably shaken, with one of its titans being brought down after decades of deplorable behaviour – it essentially helped kickstart an entire movement, where he became one of the first major figures to not only be forced to take accountability for his actions, but also face the consequences. It was a moment of seismic importance not only in the film industry, but throughout the entire culture – and while it was a communal effort that saw many exceptionally brave and dedicated people collaborating to orchestrate the exposé that ultimately caused his entire kingdom to collapse, there were a few people who played a key part in making these revelations known to the public. Their story has been dramatised in the form of She Said, in which screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz and director Maria Schrader provide a detailed account of the efforts of a group of journalists at the New York Times (specifically Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor) to cover the story of Weinstein’s transgressions when they first started to emerge, mainly through thinly-veiled allusions to some powerful producer who terrorized young women in the industry for years, which ultimately led to statements (initially off-the-record) by some of the more notable names that were victims of his repulsive actions, and eventually flourishing into a hard-hitting account of his decades of abuse, which immediately put an end to what was a formidable career, but one that is far easier to dismiss when we realize how much of it was defined by bullying and abuse – and its the foundation on which this fascinating film is built.

The question that needs to be asked when it comes to a film such as She Said is quite simple: was it too soon to tell this story? The Weinstein scandal is still quite recent, and it continues to develop, especially as new allegations are brought against him, and he continues his crusade against the culture that ultimately caused his downfall (albeit trading his luxurious office for a prison cell), and it is still very fresh in our memory, meaning that an attempt to look into the subject could be seen as almost redundant. In some ways, there is some credence to the idea that it was premature to tell this story, not necessarily because any of us expect new evidence that somehow acquits him or proves that he possesses any kind of innocence or justifiable reason for his actions – and for those of us that were following the case as it happened, this film just seems to be rehashing much of the same information, often just using it to heighten the tension, which can sometimes cause it to feel overly emotional, which is not ideal for such a story, where sentimentality and heavy-handed commentary is not necessary. This film contains a lot of information that many of us already knew (and considering it’s such a recent case, we can spot the elisions, which are glaring and unfortunate, even if the efforts to condense everything into two hours was admirable) – the issue is, despite being such a widely-publicized case, there are still far too many people who don’t know the full extent of Weinstein’s crimes, so this film serves as a decent summary of the year-long investigation into his sexual allegations for those who may not have been following it quite as closely (especially since it was quite literally a tidal wave of information – this was not a particularly subtle case), as well as being a strong portrayal of the journalistic process, since we as viewers are often just presented with the facts, rather than knowing the hard work being put into gathering information for the stories.

The focus on journalistic practice in cinema is one that goes back decades, and has ranged in terms of covering fictional occurrences or real events, and has crossed many different boundaries, whether in terms of tone, genre or specific periods or places in which they’re set. For some reason, many of us feel a deep connection to seeing characters unearth these stories, and watching their process can be both riveting and enlightening. She Said joins quite an impressive canon of films that focus almost exclusively on the people who broke a major story, showing the process from inception, through to the final stages. It’s a very reliable structure, and one that seems to be relatively easy to construct, granted there is enough material to justify it – and there has certainly never been a shortage of details around the Weinstein case, meaning that Lenkiewicz had an abundance of material on which to base her screenplay (almost too much, as there are some elements that are left out, likely to help keep the film within a manageable limit), and that it was never scrambling for ideas, since all the material was at their disposal. Schrader also does her best to elevate it above being just a run-of-the-mill journalism potboiler, with her directorial flourishes and efforts to make it more cinematic not going unnoticed – unfortunately, it is a far cry from some of her more ambitious productions, but when your previous projects include masterworks like Stefan Zweig: Farewell to Europe and I’m Your Man, it does seem like a slight artistic regression to helm a film that is essentially driven more by the script and actors than anyone else. However, much like everyone else involved in the film, Schrader makes it work, crafting a very distinct and memorable procedural drama that aims to give faces and names to a scandal that is mostly remembered for the titan who was taken down, and not as much for the brave people (mainly women) who made invaluable contributions to his downfall, as well as those that followed in what became an enormous domino effect across both the industry and the popular culture.

Therefore focus of She Said was on the women that risked everything to make their stories known, both the victims that came forward and the journalists that gambled not only their careers, but the entire reputation of the esteemed publication for which they worked, to bring these allegations to the public consciousness. The film is an ensemble-based production, with a formidable group of incredible performers being woven into this shocking but powerful drama. It is led by Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan, who portray the journalists who have dedicated their careers to unearthing and exposing scandals by powerful institutions, making them prime candidates to investigate the allegations against Weinstein – they may have only been reporting on the case (although they did find themselves at the receiving end of threats, abuse and attempted litigation that could end their careers), but they were invaluable in kickstarting the movement. Both Mulligan and Kazan are excellent – they both invest a great deal into portraying these characters, which is even more impressive when we notice how subtle their performances are. There were countless moments where they could have resorted to hysterics or excessive dramatics, but the decision to keep it restrained and direct contributes immensely to the cumulative nature of the film. They’re joined by an ensemble of very strong actors, many of whom may only appear for a single scene, but leave a profound impression – Patricia Clarkson, Jennifer Ehle and Samantha Morton (who is particularly impressive, having only a single scene, but one that is purely explosive and sets the foundation for the film’s more dramatic crescendo) all populate the film, adding nuance and detail to a film that needed believable characters in order to meet the more dramatic criteria that govern the film, supporting Kazan and Mulligan in playing characters supportive of them on their journey to uncovering the truth, and giving the film a sense of gravitas that was desperately required in order to fully encapsulate the scope of this story. 

She Said may not be the most stylish film, but it makes up for it by being a film driven by substance, which is to be expected from such a story. Schrader does her best to elevate the material in a way where we aren’t depending purely on objective fact in the experience of seeing this story unfold (which is very important considering how this is telling a relatively recent story, meaning that there was not too much room for artistic liberty), which is valuable, and proves that she is an immense talent with a lot of skillfulness, even when doing something that doesn’t quite mesh with her previous work. There’s a nuance to the film that also cannot be understated – some moments are slightly cliched, but for the most part, it is a worthwhile depiction of a scandal that absolutely shook the industry (although one that was hardly surprising – anyone with even the slightest knowledge of Hollywood over the past 25 years knew about the rumours surrounding Weinstein – many of us just didn’t realize they were quite this unsettling), and essentially changed the course of modern culture, forcing powerful individuals to atone for their sins, the culture of hiding behind influence and wealth slowly being dismantled. Ultimately, She Said tells a story that is simply one small part of a much bigger, far more intimidating narrative that has been ongoing for generations, and while it may not reinvent the genre or do anything particularly different, it finds virtue in simplicity, and gradually goes in search of something deeper, which is a valuable experience that feels earned, showing us the inner workings of the journalistic process, and allowing us the opportunity to experience the journey these individuals take when uncovering deep secrets lurking just beneath the surface. It’s a powerful, thorough and captivating thriller that gives a voice to those who lingered in the shadows for too long, and allows their stories to be told, which is the most valuable aspect of them all, specifically in a culture that is growing steadily more comfortable with confronting even the most powerful people and proving that influence means nothing if you haven’t behaved in a way that demonstrates the most fundamental human decency, an obvious message that is seemingly far too complex for some individuals, the exact kind that this film, and the people who inspired it, are fighting against, changing the world one story at a time.