The Intern (B+ or 3/4 stars)
Robert DeNiro & Anne Hathaway star in Nancy Meyer's wonderful dramedy, 'The Intern'. DeNiro plays 70 yr. old recently retired widower, Ben Whittaker; a sweet, good-natured, & thoughtful man who is feeling a bit rudderless without his old job being a telephone-directory manufacturer. Ben is understandably bored with monotony of his pleasant {he takes up tai chi}, orderly, undemanding, but dull life as a retiree and, one fateful day, catches a public advert notice that could get him back in the work force ... sort of.
He applies for, and nabs, an experimental position as the senior intern at a hit online start-up fashion site, founded by beautiful, but chilly businesswoman, Jules Ostin (Hathaway); it is run by Jules & her team of youthful tech people who are willing to work hours on end for its success. Jules is very business savvy, very professional, but also very busy, very distracted, & very disorganized. Ben wins early admiration & respect of the young fellow-workers with his old school knowledge & acts of kindness {such as counseling two of the young guys on relating to women, & offering up his apartment as a safe haven for another worker}. Jules is a driven micro-manager who rarely finds time to sleep or eats and, while no one could remotely call her mean or wicked, she can be difficult to deal with.
Ben is, of course, assigned to work with her, but at 1st, she doesn't even want Ben on her team. He finally grabs her attention by taking initiative in cleaning-up a cluttered section in the office. He then takes-over as Jules's chauffer; which makes him privy to several challenges she faces: 1) the suggestion from investors that she find a CEO to run her company. And 2) finding a way of dealing with her loving, but feeling-neglected stay-at-home hubby, Matt (Anders Holm), who takes care of their adorable young daughter (JoJo Kushner). Ben's disarming approach to Jules & her world breaks down the barrier btwn. them and, they become quite close as a sort of father-daughter pairing, even as life roadblocks appear.
Nancy Meyers is known for witty scripts that emphasize the female perspective {Something's Gotta Give, It's Complicated, etc}. I enjoy most of her movies and, 2006's The Holiday is one of my guilty pleasure movies of all-time -- it just makes me feel good. Now, that movie, like most of hers, has a rambling, bloated quality to the production. But I actually like that for the stories she tells; and I liked it here, too. 'The Intern' closely resembles The Holiday {and other Meyers works} in tone & temperament. Now sure, Meyers could've chopped off 15 minutes somewhere and this could have been an even better movie {Jules & Matt's marital woes, a comedic heist scene gone wrong}. I also think that the subplot of DeNiro sweetly romancing the office masseuse, Fiona (Rene Russo), has a tangential, insubstantial feel to it. Having said that, DeNiro & Russo exhibit lovely chemistry and, brings more color & shade to both Ben Whittaker & the proceedings, overall.
Without question, DeNiro & Hathaway elevate the already appealing material. They are Oscar-winning pros and, their fine acting is on display. If critics want to note the film's bloat or too-mainstream sensibilities, finding fault in the performances is a fool's errand. DeNiro & Hathaway absolutely make us care about Ben & Jules {even during her more prickly moments} individually, as well as both business colleagues & genuine friends. We're used to seeing DeNiro as a foul-mouthed Type A personality with bravado for days. Here, he exudes charm, wisdom & a wry sense of humor in developing a father/grandfatherly relationship with the new people in his life. The bond he forms with everyone is one of the simple joys of watching this film.
'The Intern' is, first & foremost, an entertainment. But I also like that it is an intelligent character study that has something to say about notions of ageism in the workplace & corporate prejudice against female CEO's. These notions aren't explored deeply, but they are there, easily recognized, and enhances the movie very nicely. Again, critics and/or cynics may say that the film has a few too many extraneous detours. But that didn't hamper me, at all. You know, this movie is the cinematic equivalent of curling up with a warm blanket & clasping a hot cup of tea. It's charming; it's simple; there is genuine sincerity to it. And I absolutely love how much my grandma loves this movie. Us watching & enjoying it together is a pure joy.
He applies for, and nabs, an experimental position as the senior intern at a hit online start-up fashion site, founded by beautiful, but chilly businesswoman, Jules Ostin (Hathaway); it is run by Jules & her team of youthful tech people who are willing to work hours on end for its success. Jules is very business savvy, very professional, but also very busy, very distracted, & very disorganized. Ben wins early admiration & respect of the young fellow-workers with his old school knowledge & acts of kindness {such as counseling two of the young guys on relating to women, & offering up his apartment as a safe haven for another worker}. Jules is a driven micro-manager who rarely finds time to sleep or eats and, while no one could remotely call her mean or wicked, she can be difficult to deal with.
Ben is, of course, assigned to work with her, but at 1st, she doesn't even want Ben on her team. He finally grabs her attention by taking initiative in cleaning-up a cluttered section in the office. He then takes-over as Jules's chauffer; which makes him privy to several challenges she faces: 1) the suggestion from investors that she find a CEO to run her company. And 2) finding a way of dealing with her loving, but feeling-neglected stay-at-home hubby, Matt (Anders Holm), who takes care of their adorable young daughter (JoJo Kushner). Ben's disarming approach to Jules & her world breaks down the barrier btwn. them and, they become quite close as a sort of father-daughter pairing, even as life roadblocks appear.
Nancy Meyers is known for witty scripts that emphasize the female perspective {Something's Gotta Give, It's Complicated, etc}. I enjoy most of her movies and, 2006's The Holiday is one of my guilty pleasure movies of all-time -- it just makes me feel good. Now, that movie, like most of hers, has a rambling, bloated quality to the production. But I actually like that for the stories she tells; and I liked it here, too. 'The Intern' closely resembles The Holiday {and other Meyers works} in tone & temperament. Now sure, Meyers could've chopped off 15 minutes somewhere and this could have been an even better movie {Jules & Matt's marital woes, a comedic heist scene gone wrong}. I also think that the subplot of DeNiro sweetly romancing the office masseuse, Fiona (Rene Russo), has a tangential, insubstantial feel to it. Having said that, DeNiro & Russo exhibit lovely chemistry and, brings more color & shade to both Ben Whittaker & the proceedings, overall.
Without question, DeNiro & Hathaway elevate the already appealing material. They are Oscar-winning pros and, their fine acting is on display. If critics want to note the film's bloat or too-mainstream sensibilities, finding fault in the performances is a fool's errand. DeNiro & Hathaway absolutely make us care about Ben & Jules {even during her more prickly moments} individually, as well as both business colleagues & genuine friends. We're used to seeing DeNiro as a foul-mouthed Type A personality with bravado for days. Here, he exudes charm, wisdom & a wry sense of humor in developing a father/grandfatherly relationship with the new people in his life. The bond he forms with everyone is one of the simple joys of watching this film.
'The Intern' is, first & foremost, an entertainment. But I also like that it is an intelligent character study that has something to say about notions of ageism in the workplace & corporate prejudice against female CEO's. These notions aren't explored deeply, but they are there, easily recognized, and enhances the movie very nicely. Again, critics and/or cynics may say that the film has a few too many extraneous detours. But that didn't hamper me, at all. You know, this movie is the cinematic equivalent of curling up with a warm blanket & clasping a hot cup of tea. It's charming; it's simple; there is genuine sincerity to it. And I absolutely love how much my grandma loves this movie. Us watching & enjoying it together is a pure joy.