[projekktor id=’21130′]
An old man finds purpose again, a young woman embraces her ingenuity, and a group of millennials get shamed for their lack of grooming in this charming, albeit unnecessary, comedy about the generation gap. The Intern has its moments but the overall picture is a bland, condescending, after school special.
Anne Hathaway’s Jules Ostin is a rising star in the online shopping world. The start-up she launched 18 months ago in her living room has now sprouted into one of the fastest growing online shopping sites in America. Unable to delegate anything, Jules not only comes up with ground breaking ideas to grow the site, she also balances the books, takes customer services calls and manages packaging and delivery. When it comes to her company, there isn’t a job that’s too small or too big for her to tackle. As her business sky-rockets, her family life takes a nose dive. Jules has a strained relationship with her absent mother, her stay-at-home husband Matt (Anders Holm) has a case of the blues and the other mothers at her daughter’s school belittle her choice to be a working mom. Jules has a lot on her plate, thankfully the new Senior Intern Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro) has been assigned to assist her. Ben Whittaker is De Niro’s most boring role to date. He’s affable, agreeable, and never causes a fuss. The widower who was bored with retirement is a hit at the office where he’s revered for his vintage style and unbeatable advice…but he doesn’t actually do anything.
The big downfall of The Intern is the lack of conflict. The stakes are mundane, Jules wants to run her company but pressure from investors and her deteriorating home life might prevent that. The conflicts and crises that stem from a woman running a successful business are forced and inorganic. Despite focusing on Hathaway’s pioneering businesswoman, the film actually seems to preach back handed anti-feminism. Takeaways include, while it’s fine for women to be industry leaders, their personal lives will suffer; and men should be prepared for the hysterics of women if they want to survive in the workplace.
Ben’s role in the film is irrelevant, so much so that I’m wondering why he’s the title character. Plus, if this is a character study of Ben or Jules it’s a poor one, because neither change. They just sort of realize that they have the potential to be good friends despite their obvious age gap. The characters that go through the most transformation are the gaggle of interns Ben takes under his wing (Adam Devine, Zack Pearlman, Jason Orley, and Christina Scherer). They learn to assert themselves in the business world, dress for success and embrace the old school ways both Ben and Jules value, all without losing too much of their young spirit.
The Intern scrounges up a a few laughs but there’s far more eye rolls. If, like me, you’re a fan of Workoholics, avoid this film at all costs as it will colour your impression of DeVine and Holm. However if De Niro or Hathaway are the bigger draws for you then you’re better off waiting to watch The Intern when it makes its way to Netflix, mildly paying attention while you shop online for the outfits Anne Hathaway wears on screen. Or better yet, just seconds away from a good night sleep since De Niro’s Ben is an absolute bore and will make sure you drift away quickly.
Reviewed by Vithiya Murugadas.
