Review of She Said (2022) by Bertobellamy — 06 Jan 2023

Just as 'Spotlight,' 'She Said" dissects a real journalistic investigation to give insight into how, in this case, Harvey Weinstein was taken down. But unlike the Academy Award-winning film, this one barely touches upon the personal struggle of its protagonists. Yes, this is a story about women trying to do some good for other women — sorority is a theme director Maria Schrader tries to permeate the entire movie with — but the lack of a more solid internal conflict makes you wonder why this wasn't turned into a documentary. The plot tries to incorporate the struggle of motherhood into the story, but the theme is forgotten very soon.

'She Said' respects the victims and their suffering and reminds us why it's so hard for them to come forward. Still, the lack of tension and the strange mix of real people portraying themselves and stand-ins doesn't let you fully immerse into this harrowing drama about exposing sexual misconduct in workplaces. The recent 'The Assistant' and its minimal approach results in something more striking that shows instead of telling. Don't get me wrong, this is not a bad film, but in my opinion, a documentary would suit the story better.