163. The Assistant; movie review

THE ASSISTANT
Cert 15
87 mins
BBFC advice: Contains sexually abusive behaviour

"How many people would be going to HR to complain about their boss after just two months in the job?
"And would the others in the office really be that obnoxious to someone who had been working there such a short time."
Mrs W wasn't the only one who was perplexed, bordering on tetchy, after watching Kitty Green's The Assistant.
The element which bugged me the most was that anyone would be given as much responsibility in such a short space of time as Julia Garner's inexperienced Jane.
Clearly, Green's film is attempting to add weight to the impressive #metoo movement which has seen the prosecution of Hollywood mogul, Harvey Weinstein.
It stars Garner as a personal assistant of an unseen important executive, going through what appears to be the most miserable of days.
She arrives in the office extraordinarily early, sets up daily schedules for everyone, organises drinks, food, flights, accommodation and even takes calls from her boss's angry wife.
It is a job which she may see as a springboard to a career as a producer but she clearly hates it.
I can understand why she thinks that her work colleagues are pig-ignorant and her boss is an ass but struggled with various aspects of The Assistant - not least that it is a very dull movie.
The camera follows Jane from first thing in the morning until last thing at night and her entire day comprises of menial tasks which are unappreciated by her colleagues.
Of course, I know that is the point but it doesn't make riveting viewing.
The only marginally exciting moment is when she has an impromptu meeting with the head of HR (Matthew Macfadyen).
I love my former HR colleagues dearly and we have had some fairly difficult meetings but none would have been scintillating to replicate on screen. Ditto this one.
Earlier this year, the true story of Bombshell was an enthralling expose of the sexism of powerful men and how the system is loaded against women.
The Assistant has its heart in the right place but doesn't have nearly as much impact because it is too slow.
Would we have felt differently, if Jane had been in the same job for longer? Maybe. And if we had seen her boss? Probably? When he was such a key figure, it seemed odd to leave him in the shadows.

Reasons to watch: The importance of #Metoo
Reasons to avoid: It is much duller than expected

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 5/10

Did you know? Activist Tarana Burke founded the Me Too movement in 2006 and began using the phrase "Me Too" to raise awareness of the pervasiveness of sexual abuse and assault in society. The phrase Me Too developed in a broader movement following the 2017 use of #MeToo as a hashtag following the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse allegations.

The final word. Kitty Green: "I did interview maybe a hundred people. I started with a friend of mine who had been with the Weinstein Company and a few former Weinstein Company employees. Then I went to Miramax. Then I did studios and agencies and other production companies. I can’t really name the other ones because their boss is still their boss. From there, I went to assistants in other sectors. The same stories came up again and again, patterns that cross the globe." Vox

Share this post