broteemukhopadhyay

The Associate is a 1996 Hollywood film with a running time of 1 hour and 54 minutes. The running time has been described earlier as time for everyone is really costly and one should definitely decide if it should be afforded for a film in which efforts have been ill-used with the uncertainty of the purpose. Otherwise, what could have been developed with much care as a mark of tragic protest has been turned into a sad spectacle of some unhealthy comic endeavor. I am not sure if such formula or such ill-conceived chemistry ensures the goal of the box office. Tragic it is that a person (Whoopi Goldberg) with a career of 40 films on the back has been engaged in sinking the cause of the women in an undeniable male-chauvinistic environment.

Storyline:

Laurel Ayres is a financial analysis genius in the completely male-dominated Wall Street and her brilliance is not recognized in time. One Tim Daly, one of her colleague, is promoted to the vice presidency and to Laurel it is an insult and she resigns. She resigns and begins the second innings of her career which is the content of the film. Her venture of a new biz house does not receive necessary attention and she does realize this immediately and she creates one Robert S. Cutty, an imaginary masculine figure. Laurel introduces him as the male partner. Surprisingly she derives the name from a bottle of Cutty Sark. With the appearance of a male in her business she experiences a huge rush to her office. Incidentally the media and the clients demand to meet Cutty and Laurel’s pleas to support his non-availability stand no more acceptable. Now it is her turn to impersonate with an awesome make up with something like George Washington’s wig and with a ponytail. But there appears one Camille, one money-monger. He attempts to tear impersonated Laurel with fierce sexualities.

A viewer will recollect “Tootsie” to “Mrs. Doubtfire”. And why one will sit in the theater if a film is not worth watching with something new?  The writer of the film has no clear and direct idea of the Wall Street, I presume.

Whoopi Goldberg in the role of Laurel is really brilliant.  Others in different casts have performed accordingly.

Casts:

Whoopi Goldberg (Laurel),Dianne Wiest (Sally), Tim Daly (Frank), Bebe Neuwirth (Camille), Eli Wallach (Fallon) and Lainie Kazan (Cindy Mason).

Crews:

Directed by Donald Petrie; written by Nick Thiel; director of photography, Alex Nepomniaschy; edited by Bonnie Koehler; music by Christopher Tyng

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