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.
The Assistant
2019
Action / Drama
The Assistant
2019
Action / Drama
Plot summary
Follows one day in the life of Jane (Julia Garner),a recent college graduate and aspiring film producer, who has recently landed her dream job as a junior assistant to a powerful entertainment mogul. Her day is much like any other assistant's - making coffee, changing the paper in the copy machine, ordering lunch, arranging travel, taking phone messages, onboarding a new hire. But as Jane follows her daily routine, she, and we, grow increasingly aware of the abuse that insidiously colors every aspect of her work day, an accumulation of degradations against which Jane decides to take a stand, only to discover the true depth of the system into which she has entered.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU 720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
Don't expect a thriller; it's a very subdued drama, but quite a good one
Harvey
It's a day in the life of Jane (Julia Garner). For the last five weeks, she has worked in a non-descript New York office as an assistant to a ruthless Hollywood film producer. She caters to him which includes delivering a young beautiful girl. She struggles with her inner conflict.
This is a throwback to a 70's faux-documentary style day-in-the-life movie. It can be very slow. It has the one big scene where it takes a half-step too far. For a movie with so much subtlety, it gets too specific on threatening Jane. She needs to take the hint five seconds earlier. It would be more compelling for her to cave sooner. This movie is obviously referencing Harvey Weinstein. Instead of a generic title, it should take the bull by the horns and call this Harvey. It would also be a meta reference to the old James Stewart movie where the imaginary rabbit is never seen. I understand the title is trying to be understated like the movie itself but sometimes, it needs to be overstated.
You like your job?
Jane (Julia Garner) works as an assistant in a film producer's office. She is a clerk, maid, bar tender, baby sitter, scheduler, book keeper, and travel arranger. It seems her boss, not named Harvey likes young girls (not underage) and meets with them as his wife wants to know where he is at. Jane is caught in the middle of it all and must turn a blind eye to the things she believes are happening if she wants to keep her job and advance.
That's it. Her job is mundane. We only see what she sees which isn't a lot. Juicy parts left out. I guess there is a message for someone who cares to watch a boring film about sex without sex. I imagine the HR scene was the film's climax.
Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity. Decent acting wasted on a boring film.