The Assistant

This was my life for 5 years in my 20s. Dreadful and boring; being treated like complete crap by anyone in positions of authority save a few people, being ignored, asked to smile more, dress more or less sexy, catcalled, and asked to do things that were morally wrong for myself. So I relate to this movie. Some may find it boring but if you've worked in a toxic environment whether your male or female you'll see similarities that aren't always picked up on. Brilliantly done.

Very accurate and realistic representation of a work day in a life of the newly assigned assistant to the boss, who's a creep and uses his status to fulfill his desires.

Do not expect anything graphic - everything is done very subtle and all the bad stuff happens behind the scenes.

Do not expect any action either - it is all just as low key and as mundane as it sounds like.

I recommend it, if knowing all that you're still up for it.

It's impressive how this movie is so low key and just shows what is likely a very ordinary day for the protagonist, yet still remains interesting and unnerving to watch. Entertaining might not be the best word to describe it, but neither is boring. It maintains a sense of quiet discomfort throughout, and the apathy of a toxic workplace and predatory behaviour of the higher-ups is explored extremely well with this stripped down, non-heightened approach.

I was glad I knew it was subdued and grounded before going in, as if I'd expected more, I may have spent all 80-something minutes of its runtime waiting for the "plot" to start happening.

Despite it being quiet and low key, it's also definitely not subtle. It's pretty clear what (or arguably even who) the movie is about, and I guess the very dry, quiet presentation with the strong and far from subdued intentions of the film did make for an odd but usually interesting contrast.

Also worth mentioning is that Julia Garner was great in the lead role, but the rest of the cast are mostly just decent.

...only without the comfort of exaggeration or fantasy. Green employs exquisite camera composition to make the drab office environments a thing of sterile beauty, while Garner controls every uncomfortable on-screen moment with brilliantly still misery. Dehumanizing phone calls, oppressive mundanity, hopeless sexism. It's a painstakingly meticulous view into the soul-crushing work of the assistant to the powerful, especially when the roles are this cliched: man over woman.

First off, this movie does make a number of thinly veiled references to Harvey Weinstein.

However, do not expect to see much of Harvey in this movie.

Do not expect a sort of 'Harvey Dearest' exploitation piece with wall-to-wall scenes of a movie executive who is obviously supposed to be Harvey Weinstein abusing and raping employees left and right.

Additionally, do not expect something along the lines of 'All the President's Men' or 'Erin Brockovich' in which a plucky young heroine brings down a powerful but very corrupt individual.

What you can expect is to see a very accurate depiction of a typical day of a typical employee amidst the silent chaos of someone like Harvey Weinstein's reign of terror.

Finally, you can expect a very competent answer to the question of exactly how individuals such as Weinstein and Bill Cosby got away with what they did for as long as they did.

I mean - didn't anyone know?

Well, The Assistant answers this question - with relentless presentation over exposition: they didn't get away with it because no one knew; they got away with it because EVERYONE knew. And anyone who has been witness to this sort of thing knows that's exactly how it happens. The behavior simply becomes part of every day life in the organization, and from thereon no one will say anything because the entire organization becomes an extension of the boss's behavior.

It's not a fun movie - but it is an honest one.