The Intern review: A charming, light-hearted film that will have you leaving the cinema smiling…
The Intern review
In the opening montage of writer/director Nancy Meyers’ latest contribution to mainstream moviegoing for the upper middle class – or as I like to dub Meyers movies M&M’s – Robert De Niro poignantly points out that ‘there’s a hole in my life, and I need to fill it’. And he’d be right if I found the stable and uncomplicated folly that is The Intern to be ‘the’ film to fill that void at the box office this weekend.
Don’t get me wrong, there are many aspects to The Intern that make it more than passable such as its cutesy humour and Ocean’s movie scene, it’s just that it lacks a certain antagonistic vein or lingering dramatic event to enliven the narrative and really test its boundaries. Each subplot drama or side event that arises with the potential to create dramatic tension are swiftly resolved in anticipation of the next bow that needs tying. Even Jules’ (Anne Hathaway) third act stumbling block with husband Matt (Anders Holm) finds an unrealistically speedy resolution when her picture perfect life of working mother with it all is tested.
Likewise, the ageist barbs delivered throughout the film to remind audiences of the generation gap (in case you couldn’t work that one out visually) are as cliché as they are unimaginative. I mean, ‘So, do they still make phone books?… doesn’t everyone just google numbers’? and ‘Grey is the new green’ – Really? Whilst I can appreciate Meyers marque définissant of inverting against type, and in this case, the relationship between a baby boomer and urban millennial, she fails in her narrative to capitalise upon De Niro’s and Hathaway’s dexterity with comedy to make it a truly entertaining romcom. De Niro in particular, has excellent comedic timing and yet, there is little opportunity for experimentation and extension within the story. Perhaps I’m just being overly critical and have completely missed the point of her oxymora. Or maybe I didn’t.
The Intern review
Either way, The Intern is in essence a charming, light-hearted film that will have you leaving the cinema smiling – no more, no less. De Niro plays Ben Whittaker, a restless retired widower who is looking for more than just going through life’s motions on the periphery. Coming across a flier for a senior intern position at e-commerce start-up About the Fit, Ben soon finds himself as an intern to its bike riding founder Jules Ostin (Hathaway). Initially resistive to a ‘senior’ intern who may slow her down and due to her complicated relationship with her parents and admittedly poor rapport with older people, Jules’ beliefs slowly give way to admiration and respect as Ben shows the techno-youth at ATF how to engage in reality and on a more personable level.
The start-up culture clash premise and inclusion of comedy central millennials Adam DeVine, Zac Pearlman and Holm may add a youthful dimension to Meyer’s usual fare of middle-aged consanguinity however, her examination of work/life balance for professional women falls just short of the mark for me. Nobody’s life is that serendipitous and goodness knows my problems never resolve themselves so swiftly.
Overall, The Intern is an enjoyable and sweet film, perfect for a day or night out with your nanna but it certainly won’t boom, boom, shake shake your room.
Whilst already screening in US cinemas, The Intern opens in UK cinemas this Friday 2nd October.
The Intern review by Sacha Hall, September, 2015.
