Diandra Reviews It All- The Assistant Is A Quiet Reflection On Sexism

Epstein, Trump, Weinstein….. etc! The list goes on of men from wealthy, white backgrounds that avoided the justice system either entirely or for decades while committing heinous crimes like, rape, human slavery, and the complete destruction of women’s lives. In The Assistant, Kitty Green’s writing and directing is HAUNTING because it shows you how a series of silent choices can quell the one voice willing to speak out and STOP the cruelty.

As a society, we truly rely on people knowing better to do better and guide the rest of us, but when one arises, especially in the form of another woman, we, easily, crush her. Case in point: Julie Garner’s potent performance as Jane: The Assistant to a boss that is by all means Weinstein-esque. Though we never meet Jane’s boss, we hear his voice scowling and cursing at her or anyone or whoever he is in the mood to tirade against, and we see his ogreish figure ghost through a hallway, at one point. Absolutely, no one likes this guy and EVERYONE knows he is sexually deviant and assaulting, but he A) runs the entire company B) gives one compliment amongst mass bullying ones and the world melts. It is hard not to feel like Green is showing company culture cannot only breed PTSD but a splash of Stockholm Syndrome, as well, and, frankly, she is right.
THE ASSISTANT Trailer (2020) Julia Garner, Drama Movie

Part of why the labor-force is, currently, struggling in terms of longevity and the overall happiness/ energy of their workers is because there is a lot of demand, not a lot of care, and even rarer rewards. Add on that a boss can be a horrible person, and you get the life of Jane: a young, smart woman, starting her career, and already exhausted by it. Green is very smart in making Jane’s boss a figure you constantly feel but never sense because that is what authority feels like: it is the presence of power even if the presence, itself, is not present. Jane is in constant fear and tiredness as her life becomes that of her boss, which, instantly, you feel is leading a wealthy, accessible life. Do you get stocks of FIJI water and baked snacks ready for you at your desk? Do you have cars driving you away and someone who allots thousands of dollars to your behest? NO! Most of us do not have that nor will we, and it is in the casual, rich life of Jane’s boss that we see the meekness and helplessness of her character.

Garner’s performance is so stellar because the film relies of Garner’s quiet gazes and body language to emanate her emotional turmoil. Her acting is a testament to how important physicality is to acting. How a character walks, talks, or even stares matter to conveying their inner worlds and energy. Jane never has a breakdown, per say, but even when she is trying to open up and raise red flags, she is reserved and guarded; understanding that composure is vital for a woman’s time and potential rise in any industry. We are so questioned in our legitimacy and the value of our presence, anywhere, that calling out injustice IS endangering because we are constantly reminded that we don’t have to be in the room. Most of Jane’s co-workers are men, and she could easily be disappeared and replaced for dull reasons like, answering the phone when the boss’s wife calls. She has to write so many apology letters to her boss, who feels no guilt for the hurt he causes, that, as a woman, I felt her pain and thanked GOD the film was created by a fellow lady.
THE ASSISTANT | “Send Her In” Official Clip | Bleecker Street

Only a woman could understand and create a piece that so elegantly and subtly details the difficulty of being female in the labor-force. Every industry is male-dominated, even most fashion houses and tampon brands, which are considered apart of the “womanly world,” are helmed by men. Garner emotes the awkwardness, fear, and weariness that comes from living in a work space that does not respect you for your gender while noticing physical harm women, like you, as well. Green has accomplished a film that is both hypnotizing and important. The Assistant comes out in theaters on January 31.