A solid if uninspired film about the two New York Times journalists who broke the Harvey Weinstein scandal and ushered in the MeToo movement.
Taking a cue from films like "All the President's Men" and "Spotlight," the film goes for sober realism rather than glamorized excitement, and it focuses on the dogged and often frustrating details around trying to gather together the pieces of a story worth publishing. It's not as gripping as either of those movies, though, and I'm not sure why. It's got all the ingredients, but something's just missing. It's almost restrained to a fault.
Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan are excellent as the two journalists, and I always enjoy Patricia Clarkson. But Samantha Morton, who I haven't seen in forever, comes out of nowhere to deliver the film's most memorable performance in what amounts to a cameo. It's a strong actress who can be on screen for no more than five minutes or so yet leave you remembering nothing but her. Unfortunately, that's also an indication that movie around her wasn't very memorable.
Grade: B+
Taking a cue from films like "All the President's Men" and "Spotlight," the film goes for sober realism rather than glamorized excitement, and it focuses on the dogged and often frustrating details around trying to gather together the pieces of a story worth publishing. It's not as gripping as either of those movies, though, and I'm not sure why. It's got all the ingredients, but something's just missing. It's almost restrained to a fault.
Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan are excellent as the two journalists, and I always enjoy Patricia Clarkson. But Samantha Morton, who I haven't seen in forever, comes out of nowhere to deliver the film's most memorable performance in what amounts to a cameo. It's a strong actress who can be on screen for no more than five minutes or so yet leave you remembering nothing but her. Unfortunately, that's also an indication that movie around her wasn't very memorable.
Grade: B+