She Said

She Said

Starring Carey Mulligan, Zoe Kazan, Patricia Clarkson, Andre Braugher

Directed by Maria Schrader

Telling the truth is oftentimes a death sentence for the person brave enough to do so, whether it be a business death sentence or a literal one, it's extremely difficult to tell the truth when it comes to a massive cover-up that's existed for decades. Whistleblowers are exposed and dealt with harshly by the liars who's voices are always louder, and women who come forward after being brutally sexually assaulted are equally vilified by those voices, resulting in the classic "he said/she said" argument where generally the "he" in that statement would get the benefit of the doubt. So when two determined New York Times reporters decided to expose the biggest sexual assault cover-up in film history, it doesn't come easy - but something worth of value never does come easy.

Hot off the heels of attempting to expose Donald Trump for his numerous sexual abuse allegations, Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) is distraught over the fact that it seemed her expose did nothing, and she's been receiving death threats and harassment for bringing the women's stories to light - not to mention the backlash the women received. Months later fellow New York Times investigative reporter Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) enlists Megan's help for an expose of her own: bringing to light the decades-long cover-up of Miramax president Harvey Weinstein's numerous sexual assaults against actresses and employees of his company. At first they find it extremely difficult to find any women who will come forward on the record, and they realize that pretty much the only way they will is if they do it together, because of the long-standing false assumption that the men re given the benefit of the doubt, while women who come forward with such allegations are seen as money-hungry villains who asked for it in order to help their careers. Undeterred, Megan and Jodi continue with the investigation and finally write their article that changed how women are seen in the workplace, giving them more power and protection than ever before.

History features people who stand up for the truth and who's efforts see lifelong changes, and their names have been etched into our memories - Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Nelson Mandela, Galileo, etc. To stand up for the truth, which sadly is often the minority, almost always means not just standing alone, but standing in opposition to the seemingly bigger and badder enemy - the lie. The people who love the lie will stop at nothing to keep the truth silenced, and often resorts to threats and personal attacks to bring them down. Sometimes it works, but then there's people who stand against it and who's efforts see eternal change. These people have a special something inside them that helps them endure the hardships, and honestly I don't think I'd have it in me to do what these investigative reporters did to bring the seedy underbelly of Hollywood sexual assaults to light.

These women - Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor - started the #MeToo movement that's a strong, driving force for promoting the rights and voices of women, helping the voiceless find their voice. The marginalized in America are those who aren't the wealthy white straight men, and more often than not their voices don't get heard because of the intimidation they face for it. Several times in the film the women don't want to come forward because they feel nothing will come of it, because they've tried it in the past and faced personal and financial hardships because of it. Why try to change the system if the system is inherently flawed for the vocal minority? If we keep that mindset, then nothing will change, and the injustices that they faced would've gone unnoticed, and Harvey Weinstein would still be a power player in Hollywood who would continually to sexually abuse women instead of rotting in a prison cell for his numerous sins. Even if you're alone, you need to speak your truth, even if it costs you everything.

Carey Mulligan (who dominated in 2020's female empowerment film "Promising Young Woman") delivers another compelling performance as Megan Twohey, a woman who's suffering from PPD after giving birth to her first child, and enduring the threats from Donald Trump supporters after she attempted to tell the stories of the women who came forward with sexual abuse allegations against him. Despite this, she helps Jodi Kantor with her story, serving as the strong driving force to bring everything together. While Jodi is the good cop, Megan is the bad cop, and she doesn't allow the intimidation to stand in her way. Zoe Kazan's Jodi Kantor has the same resolve that Megan has, and she focuses on talking to the women while Megan tackles the Weinstein machine. She treats the women with respect and dignity, and while she finds it difficult because no one wants to come forward, she still shows her humanity toward them in order to help them get their voices heard.

Like "All the Presidents Men" and "Spotlight," "She Said" is a hard-hitting, emotional film about the underdog triumphing against the loud barking dog, and the work they did resulted in real systemic change. Director Maria Schrader doesn't treat the reporters like heroes, but ordinary women who are tasked with an extraordinary job. You see them working diligently, but also you see them in their home lives. Megan has a newborn baby and suffers from post-partum depression, while Jodi juggles work and caring for her two children in the same vein. Both women take their jobs home with them, as their phones go off in all hours of the night, and fortunately they got supportive husbands and bosses who care for their well-being. While it's not as resounding as "Spotlight," "She Said" is still a powerful film that focuses on the women's stories, offering numerous chilling moments as they simply tell the truth in a simple way. Sometimes you don't need a lot of bells and whistles to make something powerful - you just need the truth, in the most brutal, honest way.

The Score: A+