She Said (M)

• Director: Maria Schrader
• Cast: Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan, Patricia Clarkson, Andre Braugher, Samantha Morton, Jennifer Ehle, Tom Pelphrey
• Genre: Drama
• Running time: 2 hours 9 minutes

Wow, what a movie.

She Said is one of those rare gems that pop up in the cinematic universe every now and then.

From the Academy Award-winning producers of 12 Years a Slave, Moonlight, Minari, Selma and The Big Short and the Oscar-nominated producer of Zero Dark Thirty and American Hustle, the film is based on the New York Times bestseller, She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement. 

Carey Mulligan (Promising Young Woman, An Education) and Zoe Kazan (The Big Sick) star as New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor.

Together, the pair published a report that exposed sexual abuse allegations against powerful Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

The story also served as a launching pad for the #MeToo movement, shattering decades of silence around the subject of assault and harassment and altered American culture forever.

But, She Said doesn’t just focus on the end result, it follows Twohey and Kantor as they meticulously chase down leads, face the challenge of getting the women to speak, confront barriers – such as legal threats and intimidation – and deal with the pressures of being mums, too.

Even when under the pump, the duo fails to succumb to the outside noise and doggedly “stay the course”.

And, that is strongly reflected in this offering.

Along the way, the audience hears disturbing accounts from Hollywood stars Rose McGowan and Gwyneth Paltrow, although they’re not seen on the big screen, and their interaction with Weinstein, now serving more than 20 years in jail.

The other shining light, however, is Ashley Judd, who portrays herself.

Reluctant at first to “go on the record”, the Double Jeopardy lead finally relents to give Twohey and Kantor’s article credibility.

Special mention must be made of supporting cast members Patricia Clarkson and Andre Braugher, as editors Rebecca Corbett and Dean Baquet.

Both offer a realistic sense of unflagging support for their staff.

Think Spotlight, which followed The Boston Globe’s investigative unit to uncover widespread and systemic child sex abuse by Roman Catholic priests, or All The President’s Men, which concentrated on The Washington Post’s Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward who eventually brought down Richard Nixon in the Watergate scandal, and you get the drift.

She Said is definitely work a look.

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