She and Kantor regard one another rather warily across the newsroom when first told that they’re going to be a team but as the partnership takes shape,a sense of camaraderie springs up and they find that their talents are complementary. Slightly built with big eyes and a ready smile,Kazan slips easily into the role of Kantor,a sympathetic listener,who has no difficulty striking up a rapport with the women they interview,while Mulligan’s poise makes her perfect for Twohey,whose sang-froid has a way of opening doors and breaking down barriers.
There have been livelier screen treatments of the #MeToo movement.Bombshell andThe Loudest Voice,the film and TV series about Fox News chief Roger Ailes’ downfall,both have more verve than this one but it’s heartening to see a film that says so much about the power of print and what it can still achieve. It’s a natural companion piece toSpotlight,the 2015 Oscar winner aboutThe Boston Globe’s expose of child abuse perpetrated by a group of Catholic priests. Both give you an authentic taste of the workings of a great newspaper when it chooses a cause and goes for broke.
Rebecca Corbett (Patricia Clarkson),the editor overseeing the investigation,is tireless,barely leaving the office once the story starts coming together,and when Weinstein wheels out his legal battalion,Dean Baquet (Andre Braugher),the paper’s executive editor,comes into his own. The weight of his authority is enough to repel any border rash enough to take on the mighty ship he’s captaining.
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But the film’s heart is with the women brave enough to go on the record. The most crucial testimonies come from three former Weinstein assistants who either witnessed or experienced his abuse when they were young and on the cusp of pursuing promising careers. Kantor goes to the UK to track down two of them and is richly rewarded. Played by British actresses Samantha Morton and Jennifer Ehle,they give the film some of its most poignant moments.
Farrow has said that he doubts that Weinstein would have been brought down if his star hadn’t begun to wane in Hollywood. Maybe so but once the first of the women spoke up,the army that followed became unstoppable.
She Said is in cinemas from November 17.
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