Episode 732 - The Assistant (2019)

Hi everyone!

Welcome to March! Things have been super busy around here at One Movie Punch as we begin to wrap up first quarter. This week we’re coming in with a slate of five Certified Fresh films, including tomorrow’s review for THE INVISIBLE MAN, Tuesday’s review of LONG SHOT from One Movie Spouse, Thursday’s review of PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE from Keith Lyons, Saturday’s review of THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS from your truly, along with today’s review of THE ASSISTANT. Andrew will be back on Friday with his review of recent VOD release AFTER MIDNIGHT as part of his Fantastic Fest coverage. And on Wednesday, I’ll be reviewing ALIVE, a short film from Swedish filmmaker Jimmy Olsson, with interview clips.

We’re so busy, in fact, that we actually won’t have a Patreon episode today. But don’t let that stop you from heading on over to patreon.com/onemoviepunch to check out our exclusive content, including interviews with filmmakers, update episodes, and series like “One Movie Punch Presents: Zero Percent”, where I review films which have achieved the lowest possible score at Rotten Tomatoes. And if you sign up to become a patron, you will become eligible for Sponsor Sundays, where I’ll review a film of your choice, with just a few exceptions. A promo explaining things will run before the review.

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Here we go!

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Today’s movie is THE ASSISTANT (2019), the slice of life drama written and directed by Kitty Green. The film follows a day in the life of Jane (Julia Garner), an assistant to a high-power media executive, as she navigates the mundane and the horrific aspects of her entry-level position.

No spoilers.

However, a content warning for sexual harassment, abusive work relationships, and toxic work environments.

Toxic work environments abound in our society. It doesn’t matter whether it’s private or public, for-profit or non-profit. It can be a minimum wage job, or in the case of THE ASSISTANT, a high-power corporate environment managing a great deal of money. Wherever you have an organization with a hierarchical structure, some percentage of those who are promoted into managerial positions will let that power go to their head, and will begin to cultivate toxic environments. Because unless you have a strong union contract, chances are you are employed at will, and no matter how much your boss wants to be your friend, they will always choose to fire you if it becomes necessary. At-will workplaces tend to have the most toxic environments and we get to see it on full display in today’s film.

Whereas BOMBSHELL (Episode #701) was clearly focused on the three leading actors, and covers the highlights and major events of the Fox News scandal, THE ASSISTANT takes a more mundane and grounded approach with its slice of life framing. Jane’s story unfolds before our eyes, from catching a ride to work to open the office, all the way through closing up for the night, at her employer’s insistence. Jane has been an assistant for two months, so she still has to deal with the scut work, not just making copies or picking up lunches, but even washing dishes and taking out trash and whatever someone else doesn’t want to do, including her fellow assistants with more experience. This perspective alone provides incredible insight into toxic work environments, but THE ASSISTANT also explores the effects of sexual harassment and abusive bosses, which is where it really takes off.

It’s pretty obvious the target of THE ASSISTANT is Harvey Weinstein, or any number of highly paid media moguls who hold unspeakable power over their companies, if not their industries. We actually never get to see Jane’s boss, which allows us to insert whatever toxic boss we may have had in our past. But we do get to hear his voice, an effective technique as Jane gets dressed down after getting sucked into the general chaos of the day. She’s not in control of any of her environment, a fact she learns painfully when she seeks assistance, because toxic work environments have an inertia that’s tough to break, legally speaking, especially when checks can be written to guarantee silence.

This abusive environment also engenders a sense of solidarity in the office, especially among the assistants. Despite getting scut work, both assistants help Jane with apologizing after getting chewed out. Jane is still learning her environment, not as it should be, but as it is. And we are as well. Julia Garner absolutely carries Jane from beginning to end, adopting a character familiar to anyone who has worked in toxic environments, and delivers what will be one of the best performances this year.

Kitty Green nails the drab tones of the stale, mismanaged office environment, along with a more hive-minded, cacophonous cubicle farm. The stark, sharp angles of the corporate environment are leveraged to draw our eyes to all the important details, as we get to observe Jane observing others. THE ASSISTANT develops tension slowly, then manages it all the way to the thematically unsatisfying, but exceptionally realistic ending. A feeling that anyone who has worked in a toxic work environment will appreciate when they’ve left for the day. We get less spectacle and more realism, and the film is all the better for it.

I just wish the film had the courage to market the film it actually was, instead of what the trailer made it seem. Honestly, I hadn’t heard much about the film before it hit the marquee of our local independent theater, so when One Movie Spouse and I were looking for a date night film, we checked out the trailer. As you might have noticed during this review, it’s pretty intense, giving the sense that something massive and dramatic happens. And that’s not the film you’re going to get in the theater. It’s actually better than the film that’s advertised, to be honest.

THE ASSISTANT is a slice of life drama looking at a day in the life of one assistant for a powerful media mogul. Julia Garner anchors this think piece, which oscillates between the mundane and the stressful, against a well-chosen and well-paced backdrop. Drama fans, or folks looking for a more realistic, less sensationalized look at toxic work environments driven by sexual harassment and abusive relationships, will definitely enjoy this film.

Rotten Tomatoes: 90% (CERTIFIED FRESH)

Metacritic: 77

One Movie Punch: 8.0/10

THE ASSISTANT (2019) is rated R and is currently playing in theaters.