The Assistant
(Bleecker Street Media)
By Lucas Allen
Recently, Hollywood and corporations alike have been facing a changing tide after many accusations of misconduct came to light in what’s widely known as the #MeToo era. It redefines the term “Boss from Hell” for a whole new generation. If you ever want to know what working for a tough and powerful person is like, then “The Assistant” could be the right drama for you. This timely piece is written and directed by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Kitty Green.
Jane (Julia Garner from Netflix’s “Ozark”) is a hard-working young woman who is an assistant in the New York City offices of a world-famous entertainment mogul. (That person is never named nor seen besides being referred to as He or Him) On one of her average workdays, she tidies up the work space, paperwork has to be in order, and deal with the antics of her two coworkers (John Orsini and Noah Robbins). But her day gets more stressful when she has to take calls from the mogul’s angry wife, despite not wanting to misplease her boss. As she becomes emotional under pressure, she tries to keep up her happy exterior in front of everyone.
Then, another young woman, Sienna (Kristine Froseth), enters the office claiming to be a new assistant. Jane decides to learn a little more about her and what her boss does outside of his office. She also tries to bring the issue to human resource supervisor Wilcock (Matthew MacFayden), but to no avail. Now she has to decide how to speak up if it means risking her job.
It should come as no surprise for anyone who followed such recent scandals in the entertainment industry that the movie takes inspiration from experiences working for Harvey Weinstein or Roger Ailes. When you watch this film, you can see the everyday dealings with a demanding and out-of-control boss from the perspective of the main character. Since the boss is never shown on screen, you can almost picture in your head what this boss looks like and interpret the shocking stuff that happened behind closed doors. It’s a more unsettling feeling not seeing what this boss does on his usual day than actually discovering it.
At a tight 87 minutes, the film moves at a slower pace than most dramas and this requires a level of patience from the most discerning of viewers. You’re basically going through this character’s daily routine in the workplace from morning to evening that’s meant to take place in real time. It’s not all that exciting for sure, but one can see the storytelling aspect of having that kind of mundane existence while working for the entertainment industry.
The movie does try to break up the monotony with some genuine drama involving Jane talking to her parents over the phone. Then there’s the awkward comedy involving a random scene with a little girl acting like a horse. We don’t know why it’s happening, and what it has to do with the overall story is anybody’s guess.
With everything the story has to offer, it’s Garner who does the heavy lifting and manages it with incredible determination. She did a marvelous job of finding the right emotion for any scene no matter what her character goes through. When she’s faking a smile or expressing subtle rage in her eyes, she sells her realistic reactions very well. Hopefully, this could lead to more film roles beyond her television work.
If you can get through the slow pace and focus on the main character alone, The Assistant could be an interesting viewing experience. It works pretty well as a timely drama, but you’ll need to keep your eyes and ears wide open to understand the drama.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: R (for some language)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.25 Stars (Out of Four)
