A day changes everything in The Assistant, the latest from writer/director Kitty Green.
The titular assistant expected the job to be tough. Lots of people would kill to get their foot in the door at a production company, so she’s quietly dealt with the long hours and menial work that her position requires. With a few months under her belt and no end in sight, though, she’s beginning to see the reality of her situation, and as we’ve all learned, that reality can be downright horrifying.
This extremely topical story is somewhat of a departure for Green, who previously worked in documentaries. She has a tendency for pushing buttons, though, as her last feature, Casting JonBenet, can attest. That used a fake casting call to elicit commentary on our obsession with the macabre case, and Green brings a similarly oddball approach to The Assistant. Instead of a sprawling statement on the industry, this is a day in the life of one young woman, whittling things down to seemingly a small case study. We know, of course, how large the problem is, and one wonders how far The Assistant can and will go.
Green has a hell of a lead to work with in Julia Garner, who broke out with her inscrutable role in the TV show Ozark. This will give her the opportunity to shine front and center, and it will be interesting to how she carries a project on her own.
This is an intriguing movie, and given the industry critiques it will almost certainly bring up, it’s not surprising that no one jumped to give it a big release. Maybe because it has something damning to say?
The Assistant is directed by Kitty Green and stars Julia Garner, Matthew Macfadyen, and Kristine Froseth. It will be released in the US on January 31st, 2020. Further release dates are not currently known.
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