All The Chairman's Women

 

The main thing that this film left me with was a profound sadness, and sense of disgust.

If you don't know what it is about, here's a quick synopsis. Harvey Weinstein, the Chairman of Miramax, sexually and verbally abused and harassed at least 82 women over the years, and was eventually brought down by journalists from the NY Times and The New Yorker. He is currently in prison and will probably spend the rest of his life in jail.

Weinstein was a monster, and She Said does an excellent job of telling -- All the President's Men style -- the thrilling story of how two intrepid NY Times reporters finally brought him down. Well, along with Ronan Farrow.

I say excellent because She Said sticks to its guns, so to speak, and focuses on the journalistic enterprise, and largely stays away from the politics of the #metoo movement. Probably good, as that pendulum swung way to far in one direction, obliterating people, institutions and much else with out much discretion.

Speaking of institutions, the most horrifying thing about Weinstein isn't Weinstein, but the corrupt Hollywood system that, like many other Patriarchal institutions, kept him in power for far too long, looked the other way when abused women spoke out, and more.

Getting back to the film, again, I like She Said because it focuses on one story: how two journalists pieced together the story of Weinstein's evil doings and (finally) obtained the on-the-record commentary that makes any big Investigative piece have its credibility. The two actresses who play the main characters are excellent, which certainly helps the cause, here.

One final word. I recently saw a documentary called The Witness about the infamous Kitty Genovese stabbing in Queens in the 1970s. It becomes clear over the course of this well-told piece that the might New York Times occasionally -- perhaps often -- gets it wrong. The filmmakers even gave Abe Rosenthal the opportunity to admit it, on camera, and he wimps out.

So, score one for journalistic heroism. Deduct a half point for the Grey Lady, who is certainly not, herself, blameless in the main.