She Said - AFI Fest

Everyone remembers where they were on October 5, 2017, when the New York Times Harvey Weinstein article dropped. 

Adapted from a novel of the same name, She Said is a gripping story about the New York Times investigation into the sexual abuse by Harvey Weinstein. Skipping over the flashiness of dramatizations, it opts for a de-saturated coloring that focuses on the story at hand with an emotional pulse and social depth that powers the narrative. At the heart of the film is listening through thoughtful conversations that crafts a journalistic thriller around the female voice. 

Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan star as real-life investigative reporters Jodi Kantor and Meghan Twohey. Director Maria Schrader gives a diligent look into the dedication and works these women put in to expose Weinstein’s decades of bullying and exploitation of young female employees. Schrader doesn’t skip a moment of the grueling work that goes into investigative journalism from the phone calls, door-knocks, meetings, and persuading people to go on record. She isn’t trying to sell this line of work as glamorous and skips any attempt to make sexual harassment in the workplace “sexy”.

What makes the film work so well is Schrader’s framing of the working women affected by Weinstein’s abuse. She gives a voice to the women whose voices were taken at a young age. The real heroes of the story are not the journalist but the women who came forward to speak out. The moments of Ashley Judd, Laura Madden, Rowena Chu, and Zelda Perkins coming forward are truly powerful. Natasha Braier’s intimate cinematography captures the women’s retellings of trauma, but never feels like it is breaching their comfort. The film creates a safe space for these women to recount their experiences and handles them carefully. It highlights the trauma they have all carried for years and the risks that come with them going on the record. 

The film's portrayal of the disgraced producer is a standout. Many people were skeptical to hear this movie being made and saw it as another film for Hollywood to pat itself on the back. It is not trying to redeem the industry as Harvey is a predator in the script and simply nothing more. Only one visible shot of him from the back is included in the film. His lingering monstrous presence is enough to generate terror. 

Overall this film is a guide for how to deal with the topics of sexual assault and harassment in media that does not exploit or dehumanize women. Many examples in current media think filming violence against women is “helpful” to make it more impactful, but this entire movie proves that wrong. Listening to the stories of the victims will suffice. 

She Said acknowledges that the work has only begun at this moment in time. After the report was published a wave of women joined these women who stood alone against a system that silenced them. Survivors become louder and more powerful by cementing their cinematic legacy in She Said.

 It is important to note that there is still a lot of work to be done!