Review: “She Said” review: A technical proficient, too-slick glamour pic

Is it enough time for us to reflect on Harvey Weinstein’s immense story? It’s been five year since. New York Times Megan Twohey, Jodi Kantor and Jodi Kahnor were the first to discover the details of the long list of crimes that the Hollywood producer was accused of, including sexual harassment, assault and rape. Weinstein was convicted of some charges and is currently awaiting trial on other charges. The years and months that followed saw the Weinstein trial. Times expose,  the discourse around sexual misconduct was reignited, and many shared their stories of surviving abuse with the resurrected hashtag #MeToo. However, this is A moment in which we are stillInThe concept of consent, redemption, or cancel culture. It is too soon? She said it? 

Screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz (Disobedience, IdaMaria Schrader, director (Unorthodox() Translate Twohey and Kantor’s earth-shaking 2017 articleInto a docudrama in line with Spotlight, The Oscar-winning drama about Boston reporters who exposed the Catholic Church sex abuse plot. The drama’s title suggests that the main focus is on She said it Weinstein is not the focus of this article, but rather on the women he abused and how they used them to bring him down. Carey Mulligan stars as Megan Twohey, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey respectively.Promising Young Woman) and Zoe Kazan (The Big SickOur guides () guide us through whispered phone conversations, difficult interviews and intense confrontations between victims, enablers and the abuser. 

This is a powerful story with some heartbreaking content. Lenkiewicz, Schrader have a delicate and respectful way of telling it. Are they too respectful? 

What does it take? She said it Do you want to be a part of Weinstein’s assaults scenes?

Lenkiewicz & Schrader are right to be respected in this respect. Inexplicable sexual assault and harassment should not be a spectacle. She saidIt was as it was in Fox News’s Fox News-centered docudrama Bombshell.Instead, details of the allegations are shared and not shown.  

These retellings sometimes play over flashbacks that show younger versions of the women talking, but violence will not be shown in any of these flashbacks. Schrader shows us insert shots of the setting instead: Schrader has an abandoned robe beside a script on a bed in a hotel, a purse that fell on a table and feminine clothing on the ground. Sometimes, she will show us the aftermath: a young Asian woman shaking in her hotel hallway, or a young white woman running down the street in tears. Schrader believes we don’t have to see the events to believe these women’s stories. 

It is a virtue to be restrained. She said it, acknowledging an audience perspective that can understand the weight of Weinstein’s actions without having to witness a re-enactment of them — which may well be triggering to survivors of abuse. Weinstein is portrayed as a large, bombastic man who used his power to oppress people and stories against his bullying and abuse. In the film, his face is not shown. While he screams at the speakerphone, an actor briefly appears to be playing him. However, only his back is shown. Megan is shown how she handles Harvey’s intimidation. The actual words he says are omitted. Somber music is played over his ranting, and the camera moves to Mulligan’s face, determined and stern. 

The victims of his crimes are shown in a variety ways. Many of the interview recreated in the film were conducted over the phone. Although names such as Rose McGowanAnd Gwyneth PaltrowOther actresses perform over-the-phone audio performances to these silence-breakers, and are therefore dropped. Celebrities such as Jennifer Ehle or Samantha Morton have portrayed several ex-Miramamax employees. Most important is Ashely JuddShe appears as herself in a candid and moving video-call interview in which she discusses Weinstein’s behavior, and the lasting effects of it. detrimentSend it to her. 

Lenkiewicz’s script seeks to show each woman in a wider context than just her Weinstein connection. We are invited into their homes, meet their children, and follow them to pivotal doctor appointments. We see their despair as the worst day of each woman’s life comes back. Schrader has faith in the performance of her cast to bring down Weinstein’s horrible actions. She is rewarded with performances that are righteous in their pain and joy. Still, I wish she’d made room for mess. 

She said itThis is more of a biopic about a celebrity than a picture in a newspaper. 

Hollywood has a tendency to glorify the subject in biopics. It is easy to gloss over their problems.We are looking for a great portrayal that will appeal to a wide audience. In newspaper pics — from The Front Page All The President’s Men To The Paper Spotlight — the hero journalists are noble but also undeniably quirky. Their appearance is haphazard, but their conversations are full of excitement and frankness. 

In SpotlightMark Ruffalo’s journo spoke like he could die at any moment and so each syllable had a hard, fast impact. In ZodiacRobert Downey Jr.’s reporter was a swaggering savant who might have got him killed, but won our hearts because of its moxie. In The PaperMichael Keaton looked Kermit-like when he was always at the brink, which gave us an enveloping sensation of exhilaration being part of that newsroom. She said itThis is because he has no interest in theatrics and it’s not something he enjoys.

Megan Twohey, Jodi Kantor, and Jodi Kantor represent a unique brand of New York sophisticate feminine femininity. They are intellectual, unflappable brunettes, preppy, but not too posh. They are both cut from the same cloth, despite minor differences like their heights, number of children and tote bags versus backpacks. Even though they are dressed in different ways, the film makes a lighthearted joke about it. to ambush a source. Sure, Megan is a bit more prone to anger — lashing out at a pestering pick-up artist — while Jodi is more likely to emotionally overshare. These brief outbursts can be a good thing. She said itThese personality flaws can be found in a variety of people. Considering the stressful circumstances, anger and oversharing can be quite normal. 

She said itReal-life grubbiness, mess and realism could prove to be very beneficial.

Maybe the real Twohey or Kantor are not as depicted here. But, honestly, I don’t care. Movies — even docudramas and biopics — are not about truth or accuracy. They are about telling compelling stories. Which? She said itTrips up is its obsession to portray the hero’s noble intentions and valuable contributions to the world, but forgetting that these characters should be fun to watch. 

It is crucial to know the subject. Their history is significant. This doesn’t mean the heroes of their story have to be glamourous. She said itA little chaos could be beneficial. These women are impressively managing the investigation that is ongoing round-the-clock, interfering with their personal time, disrupting their private time, and waking their spouses in the middle of the night with phone calls. However, it lacks the intrigue of the newspaper movie. The film flows smoothly in the gray hallways of the New York Times The offices of Patricia Clarkson and André Braugher are calm, classy offices. Longing for some texture. She said itThe lack of tension or pressure is a problem. While it could be because we know the ending, Megan and Jodi are too polished to feel real. 

Is it possible that Twohey or Kantor are too early to be reimagined? Is it that the movie’s respect for their achievements blinds its makers to the quirks and human qualities that could make them appear human? Is it because they are women? They must She said it Also, you have to contend with the sexist underpinnings Hollywood. This allows for endlessly lovable hot messes and cringes when a hero is not perfect. I have no answer. It is a lingering disappointment. 

Schrader, Lenkiewicz and Lenkiewicz are both able to guide audiences into the hallowed halls o’ journalism and the horrifying horrors of Weinstein’s allegations with a thoughtful approach that is laudable. They don’t treat the dark parts like tabloid spectacle. They are focused on the stories of women and the lives they lead beyond the wretched man. Schrader assembled a stellar cast that can deliver grounded performances that are both sensitive to trauma and resilient. All of this is admirable. These noble intentions and deep respect are admirable. She said itIt feels a little bit lifeless. We’re in these rooms, but the cool attitudes of reporters and editors alike don’t invite us into the stakes of getting the story right — or the The ticking clockTo it being Destroyed or weakened.

Between so many phone calls and antiseptic workspaces — which may well be accurate at the Gray Lady, after all — there’s a coldness that stifles She said it. The story could have been written in a calm atmosphere, but underneath was a brutal, unrelenting reckoning. That mess is an important part of the story. Not only does it invite us to enter the frantic pressures of the vocation, but also the amazing stakes that will impact so many lives when we press the publish button. In other words, She said itIt is great. It could also have been great without the grubbiness. 

She said Now in Theaters