The Assistant (2020)

There is something a little bit meta about a film made about the sexual harassment and exploitation in the film industry. This is the story of an assistant who comes across very uncomfortable and concerning circumstances, admittedly somewhat obscure and veiled circumstances, but clearly sketchy and threatening. She then comes up against the barriers, the blockades, which prevent anything from happening. It is a film about the film industry, and women in that industry.

Interestingly, and effectively, writer/director Kitty Green approaches this topic without centering the harassment. This isn't the story of the direct victim of some assault or incident. It is about a women who, having seen how intricately the industry is set up to protect abusers, falls into her own spiral, sucked into a vortex of toxic power and control, simply for trying to do something about it. The film's approach is brilliant, getting into aspects which are often missed. Often what we see in these stories are the sensationalized and salacious aspects of an assault, with stories reveling in the titillating details. The Assistant avoids that. It is darkly filmed with hushed tones and a bland visual palette. It sums up the veils of secrecy and control laid over those working in these environments Green has put together this complicated puzzle in a way that makes its picture become clear as all the pieces are filled in.

Julia Garner at the films centre is remarkable. She is quietly rocked by what goes on around her, so much of her performance rests behind her eyes, silently resisting and quietly dying inside. She is fascinating to watch, especially when she is doing her routine, mundane tasks, managing to show us the struggle she is fighting in those moments. Her Jane (who appears to have no last name... like a Jane Doe) is isolated. We don't see her making connections outside of her office, no friends to rely on. She connects with her parents on the phone only but those connections are superficial and she keeps them at arm's length. She is kept isolated, as the system requires her to be.

The Assistant is a clever examination of gendered power, and of strength in the face of that power. The film doesn't solve the problem or even give us a victory. It tells a far more real tale, a difficult conclusion which leaves us craving catharsis. It is a quiet scream of desperation into a pillow that no one can hear, that we keep others from hearing. It is the scream of thousands who have been here.

The Assistant
Starring: Julia Garner, Matthew Macfadyen, Kristen Froseth, Patrick Wilson
Writer/Director: Kitty Green