Tag: Me Too

SHE SAID – Review

(from left) Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan) and Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) in She Said, directed by Maria Schrader. Courtesy of Universal.

Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan star in the engrossing true-story drama SHE SAID, which throws a spotlight on the two New York Times women journalists whose investigation helped spark the “Me Too” movement.

SHE SAID evokes the classic ALL THE PRESIDENTS MEN but this surprisingly kinetic, compellingly watchable investigative journalism drama at times feels a bit like a tense mystery-thriller. The film keeps the two investigative journalists, Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan) and Megan Twohey (Carey Mulligan), at the center of the story but it also gives a remarkably realistic picture of how journalism is done. SHE SAID’s storytelling highlights the importance of investigative journalism itself, the kind of reporting that uncovers wrongdoing and starts the process to hold the guilty responsible, the kind of vitally-important journalism in a democracy that is most at risk of being lost in the current news industry crisis.

Director Maria Schrader crafts a firecracker of a drama, one that is surprisingly restless and kinetic as well as deeply involving. SHE SAID is based on the New York Times investigation by reporters Jodi Kantor, Megan Twohey and Rebecca Corbett, and Kantor and Twohey’s book “She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement.” Patricia Clarkson plays editor Rebecca Corbett, managing the story from the newsroom, but the major focus is on the pair of investigative reporters pounding the pavement.

Carey Mulligan, who was so powerful in A PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN, plays Megan Twohey, a hard-hitting seasoned journalist who also gives birth while working on this ground-breaking story. She shares this investigation with another, less experienced New Times journalist, Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan). At first, the story does not look like something groundbreaking, as the two work on an investigation into work-place sexual harassment in larger corporations, but a tip shifts the focus to a new industry. With its liberal reputation, the journalists are surprised by the tip about harassment and abuse in the movie industry, and the trail quickly points to one person in particular, powerful producer Harvey Weinstein.

Others had tried and failed to break this story over the years, not just about this one man but others as well, but had hit a wall of silence that shut things down. There were lots of stories and rumors about Weinstein but frustratingly no one who wants to go on record or even name names. As Kantor and Twohey dig deeper, they go down a rabbit hole of leads that uncovers a hidden network of cover-ups, secrecy and fear, that soon sparks a paranoid feeling of being watched by a shadowy, powerful and well-connected force.

Carey Mulligan, who was so remarkable in A PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN, plays Megan Twohey, a hard-hitting New Times journalist who starts this investigation shortly before giving birth and rejoins it on returning to work. It is the kind of personal, refreshingly real, slice of life detail that gives depth to both characters. Twohey shares this investigation with Jodi Kantor (Zoe Kazan), a less-seasoned journalist and a woman who is already a parent, giving a nice personal counter-balance to their professional relationship. We are used to seeing Kazan in more comedic roles in films like THE BIG SICK but she does very well here in this more serious part, where she creates a character who is driven in her work but warm on a personal level.

As the two journalists, peel back the layers concealing the abuse, SHE SAID builds suspense, with the reporters hit barrier after barrier and tracking down leads that seem to go to dead ends. This well-written drama crafts a strikingly realistic picture of how journalism is actually done, but it also takes us into these reporters’ private lives, giving us warm glimpses into their family lives and painting a portrait of striving for work/life balance.

Rather than a drama that unfolds mostly in the newsroom, as we might expect, director Maria Schrader and screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz open up the story by sending the two reporters out into the streets and into the homes of sources and possible abuse victims. The two women are often headed in divergent directions, which creates a restlessness and kinetic sense, with Twohey and Kantor frequently in motion, racing place to place, even country to country as they pursue the story. That restless energy is thanks in part to excellent editing but also the director’s choice in how she presents the work of these two hard-working women journalists. The camera follows them as they walk and travel, periodically bringing them back together to share findings or back to the newsroom to confer with editors about next steps.

This collaborative partnership between the tough, more experienced Twohey and the eager, newer reporter Kantor is one of the delights of the film, and Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan are wonderful together. The script balances their professional relationship with scenes of home life for both, as they care for children and as Twohey struggles with post-partum depression.

As the journalists follow their leads, the biggest challenge is the lack of sources willing to go on record. They hear chilling stories but tying names to events is hard. Time and again, a new lead ends with a person gagged by a non-disclosure agreement or just fear of professional suicide. Lurking behind it, increasingly, is a single figure, one name.

Editors Rebecca Corbett (Patricia Clarkson) and Dean Baquet (Andre Braugher) provide strong support and guidance, even approving funds to travel to distant places. Andre Braugher’s Baquet provides advice on dealing with Harvey Weinstein in particular, someone with whom he has had dealings, which leads to some intriguing scenes where he speaks with him by phone or in person.

Director Schrader cleverly handles scenes with famous people, such as Weinstein and Donald Trump, by shooting actors playing them from behind. An exception is Ashley Judd, who plays herself, mirroring her role as a crucial voice in breaking this story and sparking the movement that followed.

But most of the people the reporters interview are not famous, and we are surprising time in again by familiar faces in some of these roles. Seeing these gifted actors, including Samantha Morton and Jennifer Ehle, adds a extra level of enjoyment and moments of surprise to this excellent film.

SHE SAID is top contender for awards. It is a compelling true story drama focused on both the two women whose dogged reporting blew open a long hidden secret, and the story they uncovered that helped launch a movement. In a way, the film itself is a triumph of exactly the kind of talented women being held down by the abuse the reporters revealed. SHE SAID is a brilliantly directed and written women-helmed film with a strong women-centric true story with outstanding, rounded female performances, making it both a story about women finding their voices and example of what women film-makers can accomplish.

SHE SAID opens Friday, Nov. 18, in theaters.

RATING: 4 out of 4 stars

THE ASSISTANT (2019) – Review

Lots of working folks can certainly relate to the chorus of that 1980s pop classic from Huey Lewis and the News: “Takin’ what they’re givin’, cause’ I’m workin’ for a livin’!”. That’s especially true of the somewhat “softer’ occupations, more white than blue-collar, namely the office “drone”. The “cubicle” life has birthed a “more popular than ever” TV sitcom classic, appropriately titled “The Office” (originally birthed in Britain, the show, like “Sesame Street”, has locally produced versions in countries all across the globe). Of course, the movies have explored the travails of the “pencil pushers”, most famously in the Oscar-winning Billy Wilder classic THE APARTMENT (also a great “rom-com”), the opening scenes of JOE VERSUS THE VOLCANO (that fluorescent flicker), and the cult fave OFFICE SPACE (a box office dud that found its fans via TV and home vid). This week’s new release isn’t going for relatable laughs. It’s a truly toxic workplace that, until recently, was a largely unknown part of the entertainment industry. Soul-crushing drudgery exists beneath the tinsel, as we’ve found out in a still on-going news story. If “sunlight is the best disinfectant” than perhaps the spotlight shone from THE ASSISTANT will help with the cleansing.

The start of the workweek begins in the pre-dawn hours of Monday morning for Jane (Julia Garner) as she leaves her modest Astoria apartment, climbs into the backseat of the hired (one of those transport apps) car, and makes the long quiet trek into the Big Apple. She’s the first one there, so she goes through the workspace, firing up those flickering fluorescents, starts the coffee brewing, and cleans up (the janitorial staff can miss things, y’know) the opulent office of her immediate boss, the founder of a movie production house. The other staffers trickle in as she makes a call to her faraway midwestern family (Mom said she missed wishing Dad a Happy Birthday yesterday). Soon her “office mates” arrive, two slightly older guys who seem more occupied by private jokes and workplace hi-jinks. But Jane is “his” personal assistant, so she does most of the work: arranging a trip to LA that evening, blocking the calls from “his wife”, and escorting the “talent’ into his “inner sanctum”. When she “fumbles’ the spousal call, “he” berates her over the phone. Jane then must immediately fire off an apology email to “him” (with lots of input from the fellas). But the biggest indignity is yet to come. Jane is told to help with the arriving “new” assistant. She gets to know Sienna (Kristine Froseth) during the cab ride from the airport. She’s a former waitress, fresh out of junior college, that “he” met while at one of the big “indie” film festivals. No entertainment or office experience, but the company is providing a room at the swank “Mark” hotel (Sienna assumes that Jane ‘s there too). This seems to be the proverbial “last straw”, the big push to send Jane (after Sienna’s is dropped off) into the next-door administrative building, the home of Human Resources. As she shares her concerns with that department’s supervisor Wilcock (Matthew Macfadyen), Jane is relieved by his somewhat sympathetic “ear” and his attentive questioning. Is it possible that Jane will start the change she (and the company) so desperately needs? Can things “get better”?

Being that she’s on-screen for nearly all of the film’s 85-minute runtime, the impact of the story rests on the subtle performance of Ms. Garner in the title role. We observe the daily “hustle and bustle’ through her sad, defeated eyes. Jane may have started with a real passion for her profession, a zeal to be part of a creative process, but that desire seems to be oozing out of her body, like blood from a wound, with every minute in this “corporate cottage” built on fear and retaliation. Her body language suggests a need for a protective shield form the dread of another vicious call from “him” as her arms brace her torso for another verbal assault. But mainly there’s the loneliness as she keeps everything bottled up, unable to confide in family because it would be admitting defeat and inviting retreat, and fearful of hinting to co-workers since any word can be used to climb the company ladder. Garner’s work is truly heart-wrenching and unforgettable. Several other artists shine in support of her. The dramatic rollercoaster of the HR scene shines because of the tension between Garner and Macfadyen as the understated Wilcock, who shifts gears midway to bring the interview to a screeching shocking halt. Things are a bit more complex with Froseth’s Sienna who is played as a “babe in the woods” with Jane resentful at first, then protective of the “wide-eyed doe” she herself projected so long, long ago. And kudos to Alexander Chaplin as the dead-eyed senior exec who shares a secret code with jane as she delivers orders from “him”.

Writer/director Kitty Green has created a compelling commentary on the real scandals that have helped to keep the “Me Too” and “Time’s Up” movements in the public eye (Jane’s tale is almost a rallying cry for action). Green and cinematographer Michael Latham paint the city and office with soft grey tones, as though any bit of vibrant joy has been washed away with a dirty brush. Visitors and workers interact with telling gestures, conveying more than any lengthy dialogue exchanges (Jane returns an earring, with strands of knotted hair, to a woman who had a recent “private” meeting with “him”). Wisely we never see the company head, he’s an angry voice on the phone verbally pummeling Jane with every offensive, derogatory term imaginable. Then he’s the passive kindly email response to Jane’s quick apology (“You’re gonna’ learn so much from me. I’m lucky to have your help.”). The tinkling piano keys in the sparse soundtrack from Tamar-kali heighten the draining monotony of this poisonous purgatory. Towards the finale Green shows us how dreams are destroyed when Jane watches an audition video from an aspiring actress. Jane is moved by the work until she realizes that this talented artist is being groomed for “his” stable of “private meetings”. Nobody respects Jane, she’s visually dismissed when a thought to be sympathetic listener shoves a tissue box at her with disgust. She goes into the “pit” pre-dawn and disappears into the night, alone, knowing the treadmill is waiting for her return in a scant few hours. We’re left hoping that life gets better for THE ASSISTANT, the story’s Jane and all the real Janes in the world.

3 Out of 4

THE ASSISTANT opens everywhere and screens exclusively in the St. Louis area at Landmark’s Plaza Frontenac Cinemas

SLIFF 2010 Review: ME, TOO!

Are you tired of movies about the disabled members of our society being sappy, unrealistic feel-good movies or ridiculously over-emotional tissue-inducing sob stories? ME, TOO! Actually, that’s the title of the exception to this unfortunate rule, a Spanish film co-directed by Alvaro Pastor and Antonio Naharro.

The film begins — and I have to admit this makes me feel like a bit of a heel for being so shocked – with a fantastic opening on a dance class for people with Down’s syndrome. The talent of these dancers was impressive. This segues into the focus of ME, TOO!

Daniel, played by Pablo Pineda, is a remarkable adult with Down’s syndrome, having been the first such person to graduate from University. Daniel’s has loving parents; his father supportive, his mother perhaps a bit over-protective. Daniel has a good office job and is generally happy, but longs for an intimate relationship just as much as anyone else.

Daniel’s co-worker Laura, played by Lola Duenas, is an attractive and free-spirited blond woman looking for love and affection in al the wrong places. As she goes through one-night stands from clubs like Kleenex in a shrink’s office, Daniel finds himself infatuated by her liveliness and energy.

Despite his mother’s objections and his co-workers’ disbelief, Daniel and Laura develop a relationship against all odds, complimenting each other well. Their personalities couldn’t be more opposite, but as they say… opposites attract. What makes ME, TOO! different than the average love story is that it takes a tricky social taboo and address the possibilities with intelligence and respect.

I love a “good” love story just as much as the next guy — well, maybe that’s too much information – but, the concept of “love” permeates virtually every story we’ve told as a culturally endowed species. The candid nature of ME, TOO! Is possibly best illustrated by a scene on an elevator, when Daniel and Laura have some fun with a fellow passenger. Daniel role-plays a typical stereotype image of a mentally handicapped person while Laura pretends to be cruel and uncaring, as many people are in real life. Daniel and Laura are well aware of the absurdity of the situation, but the joke is on the lady in the elevator.

The low-res, cinema verite style of ME, TOO! Is a welcome choice, giving the film a slightly home video appeal and a spontaneity that adds to the youthful vibrancy of their relationship. Pineda and Duenas both give outstanding performances, giving their relationship a remarkable sincerity. Both also received best acting awards for their roles.

This is an excellent film that offers brilliantly thoughtful scenes addressing real adult situations, with real emotional consequences. ME, TOO! is one of the best non-traditional love stories I’ve seen since HAROLD AND MAUDE.

ME, TOO! will play during the 19th Annual Stella Artois St. Louis International Film Festival on Thursday, November 18th at 2:15 pm and on Friday, November 19th at 4:15 pm at the Plaza Frontenac Cinema.