The Secret Assistants

The Secret Assistants follows Sophie (Camille Rutherford), an ambitious novice in the film industry, as she navigates a tightrope when her interview with a titan of the industry, Henry Mann (Richard Hope), descends into an intense power play. The piece tackles a razor-sharp social commentary on the current state of the film industry and the class issue that consumes power-hungry producers preying on fresh talent.

One of the most striking things formally about the film is the visceral camerawork that almost immediately hooks you in as a viewer. Employing a mix of extreme close-ups and wides showcases the anxiety that echoes throughout the room where the interview takes place and undeniably gets under your skin. The pacing is frenetic and rarely lets up, allowing revealing conversations to reach a breaking point when tensions brew between Sophie and Henry. Pieces of dialogue remain engaging and propulsive as allegations swirl around Henry’s actions towards female talent in the industry. The discourse and politics that the piece attempts to explore are current, and it's refreshing to have a new voice in indie filmmaking use their talent to tackle these ideas through a visual medium. The piece is certainly unsubtle thematically, shining a light on the greed of industry titans, with the antagonist Henry Mann perhaps being based on Harvey Weinstein. This is an insightful and thought-provoking narrative that evokes discussion surrounding the power play in the film industry.

All the performances across the board are sensational. Camille Rutherford displays a profound level of nuance and restraint whilst her character attempts to unearth the corrupt nature of Henry Mann. Richard Hope portrays Henry Mann as despicable, and his performance portrays the character as a manipulative individual who’ll do what he can to stay at the very top, as he believes he has control over the younger talent. The supporting cast is also astounding in their minimal screentime and keeps the narrative raw and engrossing. Katey Lee Carson’s direction is truly impressive, with a profound level of prowess behind the camera, showcasing her raw talent as a writer/director. The use of blocking is incredibly engaging as a viewer, always maintaining a focus on the central character’s dialogue that feels intrusive to witness. The choice to shoot anamorphically makes each frame feel tight and intimate, with both Henry and Sophie always being at the centre of attention. Cyrielle Thélot’s edit also keeps the flow of the narrative pulse-pounding as it rapidly cuts from scenes of discomfort to extreme close-ups of Sophie’s point of view.

While the pacing and runtime are suitably well constructed, a prolonged runtime could have fleshed out the themes more eloquently to further spark discourse and conversation long after the credits roll. The conclusion to the narrative is ambiguous and leaves the viewer grasping for more resolution; however, it feels satisfying enough as a viewer, thanks to its ambitious and daring attempt at exposing the industry's wrongdoings. It also leaves the audience with a powerful message about the working class being dismissed by capitalism and the upper class favouring privileged individuals with more opportunities to soar in the industry.

The Secret Assistants is a scathing indictment of the film industry and how it continuously exploits underprivileged artists and the class issue. This has been prevalent for many years now, and the piece portrays why this needs to change. Led by two terrific performances from Richard Hope and Camille Rutherford, the film is complemented by a plethora of outstanding formal decisions which elevate the material to impressive heights. Katey Lee Carson sublimely tackles these themes to reach out to a broader audience, who may be unaware of the sins the industry sweeps under the rug, and exposes the corporations that need to be held accountable for their actions.