By The Double Feature: Versus crew takes a look at “SHE SAID”
Synopsis
The New York Times journalists Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor publish a report that exposes sexual abuse allegations against powerful Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. The shocking story also serves as a launching pad for the #MeToo movement, shattering decades of silence around the subject of sexual assault and harassment.
Blak’s commentary
It’s a disappointment to look at “She Said” as a disappointment. For a film with such a powerful, important topic at its center, it’s a shame that “She Said” ultimately translates as a straight-forward formulaic drama. The casting of Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan as the lead journalists is a great choice and the film hits the right beats in its dramatization of how the breakthrough story came to be. However, great acting and solid direction aside, “She Said” has a huge inescapable irony at its core: the fact that a dramatization of a man’s horrific abuse of power through the control of a huge Hollywood studio…is being made by a huge Hollywood studio. “She Said” is powerful but dull, compelling but lagging, has great moments but overall is a lukewarm film.
2.5 / 5
Brad’s commentary
The story behind “She Said” is a very powerful one, which makes it a shame when the movie falters when telling this story. Following the New York Times as they uncover the Harvey Weinstein allegations the film gives a glimpse through the eyes of two reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor. They go door to door, follow leads, and uncover deeper information than they ever expected as they talk to the various women who have had these experiences with Harvey. The problem comes in though that these are shown in a very standard manner, they go somewhere get nothing, then rinse and repeat. While it stays true to the events of the actual article, it does not work in movie form and repeats itself too much while focusing on points that make the movie boring at times. The acting is great, and the story itself is a powerful one, but “She Said” just fails to tell the story as it should be told.
3 / 5
Double Feature: Versus Podcast
Check out Blak and Brad’s full thoughts on SHE SAID as well as WOMEN TALKING on the latest episode, available to listen to now!
Double Feature VS is a podcast series in which two friends Anthony and Brad step in front of the mic and clash heads, come together, break up, and come together again on the subject of two competing films on each episode. Directorial debut vs Sophomore slump (or success), critically acclaimed vs fan-favorite, original vs sequel, blond vs ginger, ebony vs melanin, etc. The possibilities? Endless. The arguments? Futile. The debates? Epic (also humorous). The combination of audio material, written film reviews and video commentaries (all found on doublefeaturevs.com) are all part of what makes this a great new series for cinephiles, moviegoers, movie lovers and everybody in-between.
Comments