Rent The Assistant (2019)
2.8 of 5 from 483 ratings
1h 27min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Jane (Julia Garner) is a recent college graduate and aspiring film producer, who has recently landed her dream job as a junior assistant to a powerful movie mogul. Her day is much like any other assistant's, but as Jane follows her daily routine, she grows increasingly aware of the questionable behaviour of her boss toward her female peers. She decides to take a stand, only to discover the true insidious nature of the system into which she has entered.
- Actors:
- Julia Garner, Owen Holland, Jonny Orsini, Rory Kulz, Migs Govea, Daoud Heidami, Ben Maters, Noah Robbins, Tony Torn, Dagmara Dominczyk, Alexander Chaplin, Bregje Heinen, Devon Caraway, Genny Lis Padilla, Clara Wong, James C.B. Gray, Sophie Knapp, Hunter Hojnowski, Juliana Canfield, Kristine Froseth
- Directors:
- Kitty Green
- Producers:
- P. Jennifer Dana, Kitty Green, Ross Jacobson, Scott Macaulay, James Schamus
- Voiced By:
- Karen Stewart, Bray Poor, Lou Martini Jr., Rafael Sardina, Jay O. Sanders, Jenna O'Gara, Stéphanye Dussud, Heather MacRae, Cynthia Bastidas, Manu Narayan, Mark Jacoby
- Writers:
- Kitty Green
- Studio:
- Vertigo
- Genres:
- Drama, Thrillers
- Collections:
- The Instant Expert's Guide, The Instant Expert's Guide to: Billy Wilder
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Reviews (29) of The Assistant
Intelligent and sophisticated presentation of an ongoing cultural evil - The Assistant review by PD
This very subtle but extremely powerful film shows us a day in the life of Jane, a young graduate who has started working at a film production company with the goal of ultimately becoming a producer. The film starts as it means to go on, with Jane walking into the office first thing in the morning, director Kitty Green spending the first 20 minutes showing Jane's many mundane duties (taking calls, booking cars, cleaning floors, stacking bottles, washing dishes etc) in real time. But for whom is she doing all this? All we get is an important “he” who everyone knows, everyone wants to impress and everyone talks about - the fact that we don’t get his name or his face is a clever touch.
There's not much in the way of 'plot' which might frustrate many (and clearly has some press reviewers!), but the film is strongest in its silences, entirely in control of a subtext that screams without making a sound; it's clearly inspired by stories of Harvey Weinstein’s years of criminal behaviour with women in the film industry, but there's little direct reference to this, or in fact to any names that might seem too familiar other than a film festival (Cannes) or a crime scene (Beverly Hills’ Peninsula hotel). This approach works brilliantly, as it treats the viewer as intelligent enough to read between the lines and shout back at the screen with every micro-aggression thrown at Julia, even when she won’t let herself say anything. The most compelling scene sees her come close to breaking, as she sits across the desk of HR manager Wilcock, whose low-key but terrifying dismissal of Jane's complaints are compounded by his attempt to turn the tables on her and make her seem like the one in the wrong. Back in the office, meanwhile, her co-workers treat it all as a joke - the complicity of everyone in the company being obviously one of the main issues the film explicitly criticises.
Julia Garner is wonderful in the role, her facial expressions always speak volumes; her eyes seeming to remain dry through arduous effort. She makes it easy for us to draw parallels with so many real-life stories of distrusted women staying silent in unfair situations for too long. Without cliche, without melodrama, the film portrays an ongoing cultural evil with intelligence and some sophistication.
10 out of 20 members found this review helpful.
One DRAB movie!! - The Assistant review by S.S
One of the most drabbest, boringest movies i have ever encountered, there is no story line what so ever, it drags on and ends abruptly and you think to yourself is that it? I thoroughly hated it every minute of it, it was a waste of my time. I can't believe people have given it a misleading 3 stars, it's not worthy of a half star even to be frank! It drags on, and it claims to be a thriller, what part was that then? That's lies, it's no thriller, it's one drab, boring waste of your time movie lol ... Worthy of half a star if that! ... Yawn!!
10 out of 16 members found this review helpful.
Very tedious - The Assistant review by JH
If your idea of an interesting movie is to watch a sad young girl photocopy in an office over a single long working day, then this is the movie for you! Otherwise I would suggest that you find something else to do during the screening of this movie, read a good book perhaps or some DIY?
10 out of 15 members found this review helpful.