This film is currently unavailable
The Associate
Whoopi Goldberg plays an investment banker forced to invent a male superior in this unjustly forgotten, feminist workplace satire.
Director: Donald Petrie
Overview
A silly comedy with a serious message, this corporate comedy Whoopi Goldberg as an investment banker fed up of male colleagues getting the credit. Striking out on her own, she soon finds it's easier to drum up business on behalf of an invented associate, 'Robert Cutty'. But as the lie spirals out of control she's forced to bring her elusive colleague crashing into reality.
The Associate fell between the cracks somewhat upon release, chided for caricaturing its male characters and the perceived implausibility of its reverse-Tootsie setup. But viewed today amid continued debate about workplace inequality, it's still a pointed comedy with many laughs to mine from its male-dominated milieu. Like all good business-themed comedies, it features an obligatory cameo from Donald Trump. Whoopi, meanwhile, is cheeringly assertive, genuinely funny and sports an outrageous array of haute couture hats. The Associate confidently takes its place on the board of cherished women's workplace comedies, alongside 9 to 5 and Working Girl.
Contains mild language and sex referencesRelated
Special People Special People
Comedy 2008 74 mins Director: Justin Edgar
Justin Edgar's pioneering feature comedy about a neurotic filmmaker enlisted to make a film with a class of wheelchair-users.
Timestalker Timestalker
Comedy 2024 89 mins Director: Alice Lowe
What if unrequited love spanned the centuries? Alice Lowe's time-jumping fantasy rom-com is a colourful, darkly funny treat.
Night Courier (Mandoob) Night Courier (Mandoob)
Comedy 2023 112 mins Director: Ali Kalthami
A desperate delivery driver gets caught up in the dark underworld of Riyadh in Ali Kalthami’s gripping, pitch-black satire.
Seven Psychopaths Seven Psychopaths
Comedy 2012 110 mins Director: Martin McDonagh
Three Billboards' director Martin McDonagh spins an epic and twisted tale of pets and gangsters, with an all-star cast.
Tamara Drewe Tamara Drewe
Comedy 2010 111 mins Director: Stephen Frears
The return of beautiful journalist Tamara Drewe (Gemma Arterton) awakens destructive passions in a Dorset village.
The Day Shall Come The Day Shall Come
Comedy 2019 88 mins Director: Christopher Morris
An impoverished Miami preacher is lured into terrorism by the FBI, in the latest explosive satire from comedy genius Chris Morris.
For Colored Girls For Colored Girls
Drama 2010 134 mins Director: Tyler Perry
An ensemble cast including Janet Jackson and Whoopi Goldberg bring to life Ntozake Shange's extraordinary 1975 play about the experiences of black women.
Black Dog Black Dog
Thriller 2024 110 mins Director: Guan Hu
An ex-con is sent to catch stray dogs in the Gobi Desert in Guan Hu’s picturesque, Cannes prize-winning, canine caper.
The Taste of Mango The Taste of Mango
Documentary 2023 75 mins Director: Chloe Abrahams
Sleepwalking into submerged depths of memory, a mother’s dream and a daughter’s beckoning, this fascinating film tenderly untangles the knots of the past.
A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things A Sudden Glimpse to Deeper Things
Biopic 2024 88 mins Director: Mark Cousins
A striking portrait of an artist deserving of greater recognition, directed by Mark Cousins (A Story of Film).
Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat
Documentary 2024 150 mins Director: Johan Grimonprez
Johan Grimonprez’s involving film essay, anchored by the rhythm of American jazz, reveals disturbing truths about the decolonial struggle between global political powers.
No Other Land No Other Land
Documentary 2024 92 mins Director: Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham
This powerful documentary from a Palestinian-Israeli collective might be one of the most important films of this year.
Only the River Flows Only the River Flows
Crime 2023 102 mins Director: Shujun Wei
Shujun Wei's slow-burn noir draws us inexorably into its mysterious psychological journey.