Movie Review: How the Colors of "She Said" Tell the Truth
Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan in “She Said.” Image courtesy of Universal Pictures.
By Kate Mazade
In many New York City-based films, the city is more of a person than a set, but in Universal Pictures’ new reporting drama, symbolic costuming supports the characters’ roles and light becomes the background.
Produced by Annapurna Pictures and Plan B Entertainment, "She Said" is an understated biographical film about the New York Times investigation of Harvey Weinstein's abuse and misconduct towards women. The screenplay by Rebecca Lenkiewicz is based on the journalists' nonfiction book She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement, published by Penguin Press in 2019, that served as a catalyst for the #MeToo tidal wave.
Released in November 2022, the film collected a group of female storytellers, standing together to tell a powerful narrative—just as many women have in the last five years calling on strength and security in numbers. Led by director Maria Schrader, the film stars Zoe Kazan as investigative journalists Jodi Kantor and Golden Globe-nominee Carey Mulligan as her partner-in-truth Megan Twohey. Patricia Clarkson plays editor Rebecca Corbett, and Jennifer Ehle, Samantha Morton, and Ashley Judd (as herself) portray the survivors of abuse.
In addition to the cast, the production team was also composed of creative women, including cinematographer Natasha Braier, production designer Meredith Lippincott, and set decorator Philippa Culpepper.
"She Said" takes place primarily in the 52-story New York Times skyscraper on Eighth Avenue. The women collaborate within a Renzo Piano and Fox & Fowle design, with the ceramic-screened curtain wall providing muted texture to the film's background. Interviews are set within pink-toned coffee shops, and late-night reporting is shrouded in wine-stained restaurants.
Patricia Clarkson as Rebecca Corbett, Carey Mulligan as Megan Twohey, and Joe Kazan as Jodi Kantor in “She Said.” Image courtesy of Universal Pictures.
Joe Kazan as Jodi Kantor and Carey Mulligan as Megan Twohey in “She Said.” Image courtesy of Universal Pictures.
Costume designer Brittany Loar drew out the importance of each woman with the colors of her wardrobe. Journalists Kantor and Twohey are often clad in jewel tones—amethyst, sapphire, and emerald—denoting the value and worth in their role, heightened by the clarity of action. However in one scene, both women arrive wearing white sundresses and joke about being "reporting twins," but the matching fabric sets them off as angels of truth in a dark world of abuse.
Editor Rebecca Colbett is the picture of wisdom and patience, clad in whites and light tones, bolstered by her chic silver bob and chunky statement jewelry. She frequently works late into the night with her minimalist glazed office becoming a beacon of light in the dark newsroom, or she is seen in clean conference rooms, calmly leading her female team members with grace and experience.
Rather than shameful blacks or scandalous scarlets, the survivors of Weinstein's actions are portrayed in neutrals—warm pastels and soft patterns—that denote innocence and the strength of starting anew. They are shown in warm, inviting sets—like the sunny beachside retreat where Laura Madden (Jennifer Ehle) recounts her trauma with matter-of-fact evenness—rather than in downtrodden digs with dim lighting.
In raw, clear shots, the film pragmatically emphasizes the diligence of reporting as the journalists build the story methodically. They construct the narrative like a building. Through research and verification, Kantor and Twohey work to bring light to the situation while maintaining the privacy and dignity of the survivors, who are often represented in media through silhouetted shots that create a sense of veiled shame exploited by the powers-that-be.
Rebecca Colbett (Patricia Clarkson) on the front right in the New York Times newsroom. Photo courtesy of IMDb.
Editor Rebecca Colbett is the picture of wisdom and patience, clad in whites and light tones, bolstered by her chic silver bob and chunky statement jewelry. She frequently works late into the night with her minimalist glazed office becoming a beacon of light in the dark newsroom, or she is seen in clean conference rooms, calmly leading her female team members with grace and experience.
Rather than shameful blacks or scandalous scarlets, the survivors of Weinstein's actions are portrayed in neutrals—warm pastels and soft patterns—that denote innocence and the strength of starting anew. They are shown in warm, inviting sets—like the sunny beachside retreat where Laura Madden (Jennifer Ehle) recounts her trauma with matter-of-fact evenness—rather than in downtrodden digs with dim lighting.
In raw, clear shots, the film pragmatically emphasizes the diligence of reporting as the journalists build the story methodically. They construct the narrative like a building. Through research and verification, Kantor and Twohey work to bring light to the situation while maintaining the privacy and dignity of the survivors, who are often represented in media through silhouetted shots that create a sense of veiled shame exploited by the powers-that-be.
"She Said" falls into the box with other reporting films like "Spotlight" and "The Post." But rather than focus on the shocking events in brazen lighting and the obsessive race of journalistic competition—save a couple references to Ronan Farrow's New Yorker piece—this story emphasizes the quiet persistence and patience with which the journalists worked. It also uses the women's families to pace the movie. While watching their babies grow, Kantor and Twohey work to balance life, maintain motherhood and its often-unseen pressures, and construct a better future for their daughters.
The film is a testament to how women create and live—with poise, compassion, and determination—all under the umbrella of doing their jobs. We all work to build a better world—be it through storytelling, research, design, or construction. And despite the blue days or gray drudgery or golden victories, we remind ourselves that our work does make a difference and the lie the world tells us—that whatever we do won’t change anything—has no color at all.
"She Said" is now available for streaming on Peacock.