His past experiences boast an impressive portfolio of music videos and celebrity collaborations (including John Legend, Charlie Puth and Mike Tyson). Cogan is an Emmy® Award-winning director, producer and animator. Kyle Cogan makes his debut in BAD ASSISTANT as first time short-film director/editor however, he is not new to directing. The assistant makes her last stop on Parker’s power trip. Ultimately, Emilee’s frustrations lead her to a breaking point in a final act of catharsis and self-empowerment. We root for her to defend herself and find her voice as Parker tries to silence her. The true feat of her performance is Paige’s ability to brew a felt sense of sympathy for her character. It comes as no surprise that Klone used her real-life experience as an assistant to inspire her script with her co-writer Rachel Forman. Klone beautifully portrays the complexities of obedience and self-doubt amidst the guise of professional hierarchy. She must resolve an internal conflict between personal fulfillment (self-worth) and the adherence to professional loyalty (approval of her superior).Īctress Paige Klone brings a nuanced subtlety to her role, embracing a protagonist who appears on the periphery of society. That the film lends itself to ironic humor and satire does not erase the palpable struggles of Emilee’s journey. There are few actors that could pull this off, but Jason Schwartzman’s past roles – a precocious prick in Rushmore, a stifled King of France in Versailles, a snooty art curator in Big Eyes, and an insensitive eccentric in practically every Wes Anderson movie – makes him the perfect candidate for ‘Parker.’ His self-absorption and lack of awareness are so absurd that it is laughable. However, that Jason Schwartzman plays the role of Parker brings an entirely new comedic dimension to the role of ‘narcissistic celebrity.’ Schwartzman retains a dead-pan seriousness as he delivers ridiculously egocentric comments to his assistant. He shows no empathy for either his assistant or his deceased friend and uses deceit, duplicity, and dishonesty to get what he wants. Parker is only concerned with his own vanity – his appearance, public image, and reputation. It is almost painful to watch as Emilee reluctantly adheres to his commands. He makes lofty demands to his assistant, burdening her with meal requests, a drug clean-up, and outlandish PR requests. Ironically, Parker has just scored an acting gig as the character, “The Manipulator.”īy the first minute, Klone positions Parker as the dominating, yet somehow hilariously irritating, antagonist. He feels justified in his mistreatment and emotional abuse of his assistant, Emilee. Emilee has no choice but to submit to her superior, in the fear of disappointing her boss, spoiling her career, and even worse, of getting caught.Īt its core, BAD ASSISTANT is a satirical jab at the culture of celebrity power, and a social commentary on the parasitic nature between people in power and their subordinates.Įven though Parker is a seemingly lazy, unaccomplished actor, his obsession with clout and fame has grandly inflated his ego and ballooned his sense of entitlement. Parker uses Emilee’s professional (and emotional) subservience to coerce her into transporting the body to another location to absolve him from any crime. During her daily house-calls, Emilee stumbles upon Parker’s friend, whom she realizes has overdosed and died in her boss’s home. Paige Klone, writer and actress (and real-world past assistant to her co-star Jason Schwartzman), plays the role of Emilee, an overworked assistant – or better said, a babysitter – to a degenerate wannabe-actor, Parker (played by Jason Schwartzman). Part-comedy, part-melodrama, BAD ASSISTANT centers on an overburdened celebrity assistant (Paige Klone) who finds redemption after her boss (Jason Schwartzman) manipulates her into an illicit situation. BAD ASSISTANT Jason Schwartzman and Paige Klone Bring Comedy and Wit to the Dark Side of Celebrity Power WATCH NOW, ONLY ON ARGO: BAD ASSISTANT
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