She Said Movie Review

Negotiating this man-made world is a challenge women face everyday. Until recently, women were not even telling their own stories. She Said is a women's story narrated by women, screenplay written by Rebecca Lenkieweicz and directed by Maria Shrader based on the book, She Said by Pulitzer Winning journalists, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey.

The movie opens with Jodi Kantor already investigating the story and we do not know what her intent is behind chasing it.

Even before I ever became interested in the field of journalism, I had already come to know the names Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. All this despite being so far in place and time from the two people. And yet how is it that in these times when I was fully aware of the impact of the #MeToo movement and despite relishing in the bringing down on powerful men like Weinstein and such, why was I unaware of the names, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey?

The movie explores the protagonist's own womanhood with a gentleness, it does not get preachy but it still expresses how it becomes their silent strength, such as through their motherhood, their changing bodies. It also explores the challenge of having women against the cause and having men as allies.

She said is a narration of the journey that ultimately led to these two New York Times journalists exposing Weinstein and the enablers around him. Rightfully though the story revolves around the women, the victims, and there is some of form of poetic justice in the fact that the movie never shows his likeness in the full. The story is about the women who found themselves all alone and in position to share their stories. It is amazing that even when it seems like a powerful voice like NY Times will be telling their story they still take time to gather their strength. As one of the women, Laura says, "It is like Harvey took away my voice just when I was about to find it."

What the movie could have explored further is the power structure themselves and how they can be stopped from forming and how law could have some way of creating this. 

We specially need to mention the scenes with Rowena Chiu and the difference in culture. Rowena's husband seems uninformed about his wife's extreme trauma and even while he talks to Jodi Kantor you can sense that this news is going to impact their dynamics in a significant way.

Nonetheless "She Said" takes the phrase away from the undertone of gossip and places it in a place of authority where a woman's voice is heard and responded to. In that the movie seems juxtapositioned to the world of All The President's Men. And while actors Zoe Kazan and Carey Mulligan shine in their roles as the two journalists, all other characters are not mere characters but equally important pieces on the chess board of this democratic game.