In the wake of #MeToo and with allegations consistently being made against men in positions of power, She Said (as its title suggests) gives a voice to those survivors relegated to the wayside in the face of their abusers’ power. Two New York Times journalists pursue uncovering this rife sexual misconduct.
★★★★✰
She Said opens with Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) convincing a survivor of sexual assault by then presidential candidate Donald Trump to be named in her article. Cut to a moment later, a voiceover asserts Trump’s election as president despite an investigative article on his wrongdoings. Instantly, She Said establishes itself as relevant with a clear message: discovering the powerful men abusing women in the workplace. Despite Trump’s abuse dominating the introduction, Twohey’s interaction with a survivor of Trump’s assault puts sexual misconduct into focus for a wider audience, before concentrating on another well-known abuser—Harvey Weinstein.
This prologue sets Twohey up as a veteran in these kinds of investigations whilst establishing the rampant sexual abuse in workplaces. From Twohey’s attempt to persuade a survivor to speak up, we see the range of impacts these allegations have; damaging Trump’s presidency or the resignation of Fox News founder Roger Ailes, for example. These impacts, the result of a survivor stepping forward, are presented in voiceovers and TV screenshots and are spliced with scenes of reporters watching them. They all make one thing clear: sexual misconduct in showbiz is anything but shocking nowadays.
She Said follows Jodi Kantor (played by Zoe Kazan) and Megan Twohey, the primary investigators into this sexual misconduct. They slowly build a report against Harvey Weinstein and his abuse of authority in the film industry. Hearing from survivors and previous employees of Weinstein, like Laura Madden and Zelda Perkins, as well as famous actresses including Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan, She Said slowly uncovers more and more allegations, attempting to dispel the building alibi from Weinstein’s spokesmen. Based on the book that details the true story of this investigation by Kantor, Twohey, and Rebecca Corbett (Patricia Clarkson), the narrative is a dense unravelling that is insightful and justly gives voices to the working-class women who have been affected by Weinstein’s abuse.
As with Bombshell and Spotlight, She Said follows a similar vein of investigating widespread abuse by powerful figures, but rather than judicial justice, or direct action like resignations, She Said is working towards a story that will encompass those survivors’ perspectives in a way that will eventually reveal Weinstein to the public. The film lives up to its titular function, giving a voice to women who had theirs tarnished by NDAs and fear, whose journeys and careers were changed as a direct result of workplace abuse.
A stand-out feature of She Said is the performances. The film’s narrative, or at least its subject matter, is relatively familiar in mass media, giving Kazan and Mulligan space for their characters’ similarities and contrasts to bounce off each other. Mulligan embodies this veteran of the investigation, the more intimidating of the pair (a self-imposed title), whilst Kazan’s character is the more overtly emotional with interviewees (yet more passive with Weinstein’s people, in opposition to Twohey). These layered portrayals—their collaboration, their similar work ethics and working styles yet different ways of expressing themselves—showcase them as real people whose lives, along with the investigation, are easy to become immersed in. Embodying these women, Mulligan and Kazan effortlessly transform into the stress and perseverance of these working-mother roles.
Despite being supported by actors such as Patricia Clarkson, Andre Braugher, and Samantha Morton, many of the other journalists go under the radar in the bid to focus on Twohey and Kantor’s emotional and professional investment in the report. Nonetheless, the interviews between Kantor and the women who worked for Weinstein stand out. Zelda Perkins is particularly impactful as Samantha Morton. In her methodical and information-packed interview, Morton is exceptional at reflecting challenge and passiveness in just one scene.
She Said has a dense narrative to uncover, so the quick-paced editing aids in reflecting the sheer amount of work going into the investigation, from phone calls amid the busy streets of New York, to scenes within the office after hours (empty except for Kantor, Twohey, or Corbett). Although the layering of phone-call audio juxtaposed with scenes of meetings and discussions within an office set can dispel you from being immersed, it ultimately feeds into the tension of building the report against Weinstein.
The level of investment and exhaustion of these journalists is felt within every frame, the quick splicing of scenes of working motherhood reflects sacrifice and partnership in ways that more dialogue could not. She Said is fast-paced when necessary, and slower when voices need to be heard. In another bid for immersion and authenticity, She Said features recurring shots of famed actresses’ backs (either played by themselves, or by stand-ins) as they are interviewed. Although not the most cinematic of She Said’s stylistic approaches, the pseudo-documentary format means strengthens the immersion—seeing Gwyneth Paltrow played by another actress could easily bring you out of the visual journey.
In a striking scene forking from the main plotline, the two journalists and their superior sit around a table at a bar. After a man fails to take Mulligan’s dismissal of “we are talking” at face value, she quickly begins shouting expletives. The simple scene, placed expertly at the height of tension, manages to remind you of the journalists as well as the survivors. This normal interaction, and a daily infringement upon a woman’s time, brings you back to reality and the core message—ultimately, men treat women like they are owed their time and energy, as Weinstein did. A recognisable situation for many women, it is striking to cement this interaction visually as it enables an audience to grasp the everyday power imbalances—even in neutral settings outside of the workplace. The writer and director expertly weave this scene into the wider plot; it offers the frustration of Twohey, the collected Kantor refusing Twohey’s apology, and a nameless man’s expectations of a woman, nodding to the aftermath of She Said in which the MeToo movement took off.
The Verdict
She Said does not pack the stylistic punches of an arthouse film, but the clear narrative journey, honest performances, and fast editing aid in producing a compelling investigation that does the true story it was based on justice. The performances and interview sequences spliced with flashbacks of the past (with no explicit scenes for shock or otherwise) propel the narrative forward and are equally immersive. Ultimately, She Said gives voice to a range of different people affected by Weinstein, even the journalists carrying the weight of reporting.
Words by Annabel Smith
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