Film Review: SHE SAID (2022): Maria Schrader’s Film About Investigative Journalism Hits All the Right Notes

She Said Review

She Said (2022) Film Review, a movie directed by Maria Schrader, written by Rebecca Lenkiewicz and starring Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan, Patricia Clarkson, Andre Braugher, Samantha Morton, Jennifer Ehle, Angela Yeoh, Maren Heary, Sean Cullen, Anastasia Barzee, Keilly McQuail, Hilary Greer, Tina WongLu, Nancy Ellen Shore, Wesley Holloway, Stephen Dexter, Emma O’Connor, Brad Neilley and Katie Nisa.

She Said is an excellent example of a film that makes investigative journalism seem more exciting than it probably is. It’s definitely exciting when the final product is ultimately unveiled in print (or online) journalism but it’s frustrating, and grueling trying to break one of the most important stories ever as the events in this picture portray. Still, the movie is nail-biting and even if the real life events were happening at a slower pace than they happen here, it doesn’t matter because this film will never lose the audience’s attention throughout the duration of the entire picture. Not even for a minute. That’s what a great film should always strive for.

At one point, a reporter for The New York Times named Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) must get on a plane to go speak to a woman named Rowena Chiu (Angela Yeoh) and when she arrives at her destination, she doesn’t even get to talk directly to Rowena. Not at first, anyway. That’s a perfect example of how drawn out the whole process is of talking to sources who may or may not be reliable and locating sources who may or may not allow you to take their remarks “on the record.” Director Maria Schrader’s movie manages to be smart and entertaining throughout and is sure to be a crowd-pleaser for fans of intelligent, well-acted dramas that are based on real life material.

The film opens in Ireland, 1992 with a woman on the set of a new movie who soon becomes tremendously distraught after something very dire happens to her. The movie then flashes forward many years as it brings us to more recent events which are all seemingly based on fact and will intersect with the scene that begins the picture.

Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan are fantastic in the leading roles of the film. Mulligan plays Megan Twohey who is trying to get a story on Donald Trump as the film’s main story begins. Trump claims his suggestive remarks which he made are simply to be written off as “locker room talk,” though. That assertion by Trump coupled with a new threat on her life makes Twohey turn her attention elsewhere. Soon, actress Rose McGowan (voice of Keilly McQuail) starts to bring out accusations against Miramax film producer Harvey Weinstein which propels the film’s plot into full motion.

Patricia Clarkson is absolutely superb in her role as Rebecca Corbett, the editor at The New York Times who encourages her reporters Twohey and Kantor to move forward with their investigation of Weinstein. Andre Braugher, in another great piece of screen acting, portrays Dean Baquet, the executive editor who has advice to give his reporters about how Weinstein works. Clarkson and Braugher are authentic and superb in their high-profile roles and deserve every kind of praise that they will soon get for these parts in the picture.

Ashley Judd appears in the film as herself, one of the women who paved the way for the story on Weinstein to actually come into fruition. Judd believes she has been blackballed as an actress by Weinstein and is on the fence about letting the story come into the public view for much of the movie.

What is so interesting about She Said is the way the movie sheds light on the way powerful men in Hollywood (Weinstein, in particular, but I’m sure there were others like him) were able to take advantage of women before the revolutionary “Me Too” movement began. A particularly effective scene in She Said is when Twohey goes to have a discussion in a restaurant/bar with some colleagues when a man approaches her and gets aggressive with her. When Twohey lets the guy have it verbally, one can’t help but be reminded of Mulligan’s excellent role in the great Promising Young Woman from a couple of years back.

This movie never really shows the face of Weinstein during the course of the whole film. In a key scene where he shows up at the office of The New York Times, we see just the back of his head. This is an interesting choice for a film that chooses to ignore showing much of the face of the monster that he was proven to be. Instead, a key scene breaks down dialogue exchanges in a hotel where we simply hear his abusive dialogue while trying to take advantage of a woman by getting her to come into his room. The dialogue is also shown in captions which is an excellent choice as to clarify every inexcusable comment this supposedly “powerful” man made to the innocent women who he tried to take advantage of.

Zoe Kazan is the most valuable player here. We know Mulligan is great from her Oscar-caliber work in Promising Young Woman but Zazan gives her role enough subtext and charisma that she is easier to relate to and understand as a character. Both Twohey and Kantor are part of happy families. But, that’s where the similarities between these two end. Kazan shows her character’s confusion at first as she proceeds to go after the story of a lifetime against all odds. Kazan has given good performances in independent films like Ruby Sparks but this part will make her a true household name. She becomes Kantor and is superb every step of the way here.

When Weinstein demands to know if it was actress Gwyneth Paltrow who is behind the story The New York Times is putting together in the film, it’s a crowd pleasing moment for sure when the film’s characters respond that it wasn’t Paltrow that led to the final article. It was another source (or sources) who went on the record. I won’t tell you who, though. The movie shows how Weinstein made settlements with employees who walked away and were forced to silence themselves in return for the money they were paid. These revelations are fascinating and display the lengths Weinstein went to in order to avoid getting caught.

An excellent scene in the movie is when Kantor talks to Rowena’s husband and learns that Rowena never told her own husband about the abuses she faced from Weinstein. It goes to show you how embarrassed and afraid some of Weinstein’s victims were to reveal the truth–even to their own families. Also, keep your eyes peeled for a great sequence featuring Samantha Morton as Zelda Perkins that is certain to be one of the most talked about scenes of the year. Morton has never been better as she discusses the turmoil she has faced in her life in a riveting scenario within the film. Morton could just walk away with a nomination for Best Supporting Actress for her tremendous work in the movie.

Maria Schrader keeps the film moving at a fast clip and every scene in the picture is full of intensity thanks to the excellent direction and fantastic, moving musical score by Nicholas Britell. The movie makes a misstep or two along the way such as spending too much time focusing in on Hollywood actresses like McGowan and Paltrow though Judd’s involvement in the plot is stronger since the actual actress herself is playing her.

The movie also shows the joy of finally publishing a story that could alter the world forever, for the better. Though the movie makes journalism look exciting at times, it also shows the blood, sweat and tears that the people from the newspaper had experienced while trying to bring this important and urgent story to life.

She Said is an extraordinarily made movie that will change the way we look at powerful people in Hollywood. The time for change is upon us and hopefully, thanks to the events portrayed in this film, women (and even men) won’t be afraid to come forward when they find themselves the victims of sexual harassment. If you’ve been a victim, this film proves you are not alone. This movie speaks volumes. It’s a powerful film.

Rating: 9/10

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