The Intern Review

8 out of 10

Cast:

Robert De Niro as Ben Whittaker

Anne Hathaway as Jules Ostin

Anders Holm as Matt

Adam DeVine as Jason

Zack Pearlman as Davis

Jason Orley as Lewis

JoJo Kushner as Paige

Andrew Rannells as Cameron

Christina Scherer as Becky

Rene Russo as Fiona

Nat Wolff as Justin

Linda Lavin as Patty

Celia Weston as Doris

Steve Vinovich as Miles

C.J. Wilson as Mike

Mary Kay Place as Jules’ Mom

Erin Mackey as Jane

Christina Brucato as Emily 

Directed by Nancy Meyers

Story:

At 70 years old, widower Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro) isn’t ready to retire, so he applies for a senior internship at a Brooklyn start-up run by Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway), a tough but amicable boss who ends up learning a lot about Ben and vice versa as they start to get closer.

Analysis:

I feel like I should preface this review by saying that I hated Nancy Meyers’ last movie, It’s Complicated, didn’t really care for her previous movie, The Holiday and honestly, if I never see another Diane Keaton movie in this lifetime, I would consider my life a success. So surprise, surprise, I actually really like Meyers’ new comedy The Intern, which might be her most accessible film as well as the most successful at taking a fairly simple idea and making it work for laughs since What Women Want.

De Niro’s Ben Whittaker is introduced as he’s going through his post-retirement day-to-day and doing a video intro as his application for a “senior intern” position at a specialized clothes website. He’s soon hired to be the personal intern to the company’s founder Jules Ostin (Hathaway), who only goes along with it to set a good example. While at first hesitant to use Ben’s services, Jules soon learns how Ben’s experience in business makes him a good asset, and Ben soon endears himself to the entire staff including the younger interns who find inspiration in his dedication to the job. Ben also begins a relationship with the company masseuse Fiona (Renee Rosa), which is probably the closest Meyers comes to familiar ground of her previous rom-coms.

This could very well have been a recipe for disaster, because having an older man working in a fairly young workplace seems like the set-up for a lot of ageist jokes about not being able to use technology. Meyers does go there a few times for easy laughs, but never makes Ben the type of crotchety old dog unwilling to learn new tricks but rather someone with life experience who is able to inspire others.

I have no idea if this “senior intern” is a real thing, but in Ben, Meyers has found a role for De Niro that’s well-suited for where he’s at in his career. He’s such a joy to watch as Ben, because he’s become one of those actors who can get a laugh merely from a look or a reaction. Similarly, Hathaway probably doesn’t get enough credit for her comedic chops, combining the charm of Julia Roberts and the neuroses of a Barbra Streisand.

She and De Niro work so well together, and their scenes are clearly the highlight of the movie, but Meyers has filled The Intern with lots of great supporting characters, including the younger interns Ben hangs out with, which includes Adam DeVine from “Workaholics” and Pitch Perfect. We also eventually meet Jules’ husband Matt (Anders Holm ALSO from “Workaholics”) and her adorable scene-stealing daughter Paige, who end up playing a larger part in the movie as we focus on Jules’ domestic life, which isn’t quite as much as the stuff taking place at the office.

Things tend to falter towards the last act as things veer into the madcap with Ben and the other interns trying to break into Jules’ mother’s house to delete a derogatory Email Jules accidentally sent her. It’s a funny bit that serves no purpose, but it’s also (quite literally!) like something out of “Seinfeld.” This leads into a deathly serious finale as Jules tries to juggle her home life with the search for a CEO, but Ben is there to offer his support (i.e. meddle) in both situations.

Rather than being a romantic comedy, The Intern is always about the relationship between two different generations, which hasn’t really been covered this well in other movies, although some may question the need for Jules to be “saved” by an older white man (whether it being Ben or a prospective CEO).

Otherwise, the film generally works quite brilliantly for what Meyers was trying to achieve. It’s almost as if Meyers, after 35 years in the business, has finally settled into her own skin as a director, where she knows exactly how to find the perfect cast and create the best timing for optimum laughs, but also knowing how to direct the audiences’ emotions while dealing with more serious issues.

The Bottom Line:

The Intern won’t redefine cinema, not that it’s meant to, but it’s a sweet and clever crowd-pleaser that works equally well as a comedy and also dramatically, mainly due to the pairing of Hathaway and De Niro. 

The Intern opens nationwide on Friday, September 25 with previews on Thursday night.

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