Never mess with the power of journalism. She Said is the true story of how New York Times journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey opened Pandora’s box and unleashed hell on Harvey Weinstein’s casting couch methods. While some parts are fictionalised to keep it a film and not a documentary, the movie stars Carey Mulligan as Megan and Zoe Kazan as Jodi as they investigate the allegations against Weinstein.
The film is based on Kantor and Twohey’s book of the same name, in which they recount how they went about their investigation before their explosive article dropped in late 2017. What the film does well is that it tells the story; it doesn’t show it. The world already saw how Weinstein was exposed. Explaining how they went about acquiring their source is what makes the story better.
The way Maria Schrader directs the film is unique as it doesn’t push the subject matter in your face like Jay Roach’s Bombshell did. While Roach’s film heavily implies the abuse, as seen when Roger Ailes (John Lithgow) tells Margot Robbie’s Kayla (a fictional character) to “show him her legs”, and he becomes turned on by it, the story in She Said doesn’t go into the same amount of detail because it is not essential to the plot.
The Personal Aspect Of She Said
A various points throughout the film, we get glimpses inside Megan and Jodi’s lives as working mothers. We’re also introduced to their husbands and children to show they are like every other working parent, which is something most journalistic films don’t show.
At an early point, Megan is seen at various points in her pregnancy. It also shows the aftermath of the birth of her daughter. The honest Megan has been incredibly open about her post-natal depression, which is incorporated into the film. However, it has been said the personal aspect of Megan and Jodi’s lives was not a point in the book.
Megan’s struggles after the birth of her daughter are what draw her back to the newsroom. Now, the one event we’re unclear about is whether she was reluctant to join Jodi on the Weinstein story. As we stated earlier, there are parts of the film that didn’t happen. One fictional scene included Megan screaming at some dude in the bar she and Jodi go to.
One massive highlight in the film was when Dean Baquet (André Braugher), the NYT’s executive editor, got a phone call from Weinstein, ordering him to cut the article. Having dealt with Harvey before, Baquet tells him to talk to Megan and Jodi and then hangs up on him.
She Said is a film that is worth watching.
