Winter doldrums FILM JOURNAL Jan.-Feb. 2019

[Chris Knipp]

WORKING WOMAN (Michal Aviad 2018).

This Israeli drama about sexual harassment on the job by a high end real estate developer on his very competent female assistant climaxes in Paris and she disintegrates afterward but she pulls out of it neatly enough. The characters are cool and neutral, there is no background music: the director has mainly done docs. Though well done this felt to me as if it lacked something; like an unusually well made instructional film. But in this time of global @MeToo awareness, that could be a plus. Metascore 81%. Showing at IFC Center, but I also had a screener. Watched 2 Apr. 2019 in NYC. (I can't say this was altogether a doldrums-banisher - now that the Rendez-Vous and New Directors for me are pretty much over - but it is the height of relevance to a hot topic.)