Movie Review: “He Said” – They Jailed Weinstein

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“She Said” is the feature film about how New York Times reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey worked on the dig case that would become Weinstein’s undoing. The film is a gripping drama that targets our disbelief in how difficult and humiliating it is to report sexual harassment.

In the film, Kanton and Twohey are played by Zoe Kazan and Carrey Mulligan, respectively. In the wake of Donald Trump’s 2016 election victory, in which a number of women accused him of unwanted sexual behavior, New York Times editors are wondering how widespread this issue is. Why is it so difficult to report? And will it have any kind of effect? After all, Trump was still elected president.

The claw finger

Questions lead reporters to famous film producer Harvey Weinstein.

For several decades, there has been talk that the producer behind films like ‘Pulp Fiction’, ‘The English Patient’ and ‘Good Will Hunting’ is a claw-fingered man who doesn’t stop. Could there be some grip on it?

The greatest resistance journalists face is, in a sense, that of the victims themselves. They are willing to talk about their meetings with Weinstein off the record, but they dare not appear in the press and refuse to be quoted. Weinstein is an influential producer. One phone call and you’re on the Hollywood red list. Additionally, many of the women have signed confidentiality agreements, which makes it difficult to come forward later without being subpoenaed.

Panther with razor sharp claws

Covered above

In both style and tone, the film is reminiscent of the journalistic film ‘Spotlight’. It’s grey, everyday humor and no hipster clothes. The actors do a good job of portraying members of the press as busy, well-meaning watchdogs, but mostly as people.

Actress Ashley Judd was among the very first to come forward in the case, and is also the only one in the film who plays herself. With the exception of the back of the head of an actor playing Weinstein, she is nowhere to be seen in the film. Her presence, however, rides the story like a mare during the film’s two-hour runtime. In interviews with women, on the phone, in conversations with people from Weinstein’s Miramax company, which has long covered up the boss’s crimes. It makes it very easy to sympathize with women.

The strongest card

Flashbacks are sometimes used to reinforce the women’s experiences, but it becomes unnecessary personal and breaks with the film’s otherwise sober and realistic tone. You also don’t witness as much journalistic method, i.e. how things turn out, as you saw, for example, in “Spotlight”.

Østfold bloody crime

Most of the complex case consists of interviews with dozens of sources, and this can work in a newspaper, but there are so many names to contend with here that you quickly become confused as to who is who.

Either way, “She Said” is a soulful film about a reckless man who finally stripped naked. And the film’s strongest card – this is absolutely true.