Everyone is familiar with the stereotypical image of a personal assistant: young, ambitious, available every hour of the day to satisfy the boss's weirdest whims.
But what if your boss turns out to be a sexual predator? Kitty Green lets us feel it in the minimalistic but memorable The Assistant , which we saw at Film Fest Gent last year .
Handyman
Get up before the city wakes up, be the first to arrive at the office, turn on the lights, make coffee, clear desks, check emails. Jane (Julia Garner from Ozark ) does that before 8 a.m. She is an assistant to an important man in a film production company. When her colleagues arrive, they don't pay much attention to her: after all, she is 'just' an assistant. And then her boss still has to start his working day.
We soon realize that he is not a shining example of morality. We never see him on screen, but it's obvious. This is where the specter of Harvey Weinstein roams. Jane and her colleagues must maintain his dubious lifestyle. Ban phone calls from his angry wife? Jane! Top up suspected medicines (read: against erectile dysfunction)? Jane! Host a whole bunch of women until late at night? Jane.
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Nightmare Alley StreamingWork culture
When Jane's boss gives one of his "protegees" without experience or interest the same job as Jane, she has had enough. She fears that her boss is abusing the girl and she goes to the personnel department. In a terribly awkward scene with Matthew McFayden ( Succession ) as the human resources director, her accusations are ignored. He says almost bluntly that a complaint will only harm her. Humiliated and despondent, she leaves the office.
Thus it becomes clear that the problem is not just the Weinstein figure, but the whole toxic culture he spreads and grows. The micro-aggressions Jane has to endure from the men in the office: talking about her in front of her, passing all the difficult tasks onto her, attracting her attention with a wad of paper instead of calling her by her name, ignoring her as it suits them, etc. Any alleged misstep results in an exaggerated scolding of the boss, after which she has to apologize and promise she knows how exceptional the opportunity is given to her. Those may seem like small things, but all together you can make someone fall so very low.
Minimalistic
Director and screenwriter Kitty Green don't push the consequences of such a working culture right in the face. On the contrary, The Assistant is a fine piece of slice-of-life with an impact. These aren't big emotions, monologues, or screaming contests, but the daily grind of a young woman who doesn't want her career to be thwarted by a pathetic excuse for a man.
But Jane's role in that culture is not wiped out either. She also helps maintain this, but at the same time the balance of power in the company is so skewed that she can do little without help from above. For example, there are many women (and men) who simply have to endure appalling working conditions until a change comes.
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La Panthère des neiges StreamingThe Assistant is a minimalist film, also in how everything is portrayed. Kitty Green also contributed to the editing, and her long shots with the rather washed-out, gray cinematography perfectly illustrate the routine in Jane's life. The fact that the whole thing always remains fascinating is certainly thanks to Julia Garner. The young actress already has two Emmy awards under her belt for Ozark , and here she's so endearing, you'll want to whisper good advice or encouragement in her ear all the time. One thing is certain: this assistant can be promoted by us.
Kitty Green uses a typical day as an assistant to criticize the sexist and toxic work culture that figures like Harvey Weinstein maintain. A small-scale film with an important message and a great Julia Garner.