"The Intern" Review

Title: The Intern

Directed by: Nancy Meyers

Screenplay by: Nancy Meyers

Year: 2015


Nancy Meyers returns to the light hearted comedy genre with Robert DeNiro and Anne Hathaway at her back. Meyers has done a fine job at delivering solid films in the past with modest success. And the trailers for The Intern made me believe we were getting a nice little comedy with two good performances. And...yeah, that is exactly what we have here.

Ben Whittaker is both widowed and retired, but seeking a little more out of life, he applies for an internship at Jules Ostin's company. He is assigned to Jules directly though they have very different personalities, they prove that they can learn a lot from each other.

DeNiro is known for his harsher, mobster-like roles. But he is not a one-act-man. DeNiro plays a gentleman, to put it simply. A man born and raised during a different time period and he carries those ideals with him through the modern world. DeNiro is fantastic as Ben, being the man every other man wants to be when they grow old. He is kind, wise, neat, prepared, funny, essentially a perfect human being. There is nothing not to like about him. Hathaway is on the other side of the spectrum as Jules. Jules is a modern person, accustomed to doing things her way and always keeping up with the times. Hathaway nails this role, having played similar types before.

What really makes this movie work is the chemistry between DeNiro and Hathaway. They are delightful to watch as they have conversations coming from two different perspectives, but coming across a mutual understanding. They are clearly different. Ben carries a briefcase, Jules carries a tablet, for instance. But they each learn from each other. Ben is taught how to use a computer and Jules is given some much needed advice.

One thing I absolutely respected about this movie is the lack of a romance between these two characters. Good relationships do not always have to be romantic. This is a friendship and it is pleasant to see how it develops. However, I must dock this movie for being so different at first, and then devolving into a cliche and tired turn. The movie is very original and unconventional, but something occurs in the third act that was completely unnecessary and feels like padding. It is as if the writer's ran out of ideas to fill the rest of the runtime and decided to go a more conventional route.

Flipping back to the positive, this picture is very funny. Nothing really hysterical, but you will get some really good laughs out of it. There is one scene that I would deem hilarious, but it is very out of place and out of character. It is a shame that the funniest scene in the film contradicts everything that Ben's character stands for.

The story is nicely told but there really is no plot. That is not a negative for this flick as all it is showing is what happens when an older generation meets the modern generation. I like how it does not portray it as a clash between two different styles, but rather a difference. Each generation stands to learn from another and there are advantages to both. The morals are well illustrated and truly resonate.

The Intern will not be remembered too well given time, and I do not believe many will have seen this movie, but it truly is a delight. The two leads have great, fun chemistry, the morals are well told without being shoved in the audience's face, and there are copious laughs throughout. A third act twist does make the movie suffer quite a bit and there are a few moments of character inconsistencies, but overall, The Intern is a pleasant watch.

Grade: B