The Intern
Like most internships, it starts off great but you’re always glad when it’s over.
Let me begin by saying that this film was a pleasant surprise. The Intern is a gentle
comedy with some great acting at the helm lead by Robert DeNiro who plays a 70
year old widower looking to stay busy to pass the time and loneliness. Jules Ostin
(Anne Hathaway) is a harried owner of a fast paced booming start up e-commerce
site. An over achiever who until this point has kept her fast growing business on
track and far ahead of their projected goals.
The opening scene for this film is where you begin to care about Ben Whittaker
(DeNiro.) It opens up with him filming an introductory resume to send to Jules’
company looking for senior interns to hire. All the information of Ben’s character is
delivered here and the set up for the rest of the film is set, Ben is the long lost
gentleman of yesteryear that we and all women wish would never die. After
reluctantly accepting the aid of an intern, Ostin eventually turns around relying on
Ben for her day to day activities and seeing him as a parental figure.
Although there are some incredibly funny moments throughout and one or two
memorable lines, it seems that The Intern was writer/director Nancy Meyer’s (It’s
Complicated, The Holiday) way to make a feminist statement about women in the
business world. However by the end of the film that message does not only feel
forced and insincere, but it’s completely lost as Ostin relies more and more on Ben
for her decision and by not standing up for herself after knowing of her husband’s
missteps. Meyer also tried to show that men could be great stay at home fathers
only to throw everything out the window by making him the unnecessary evil of the
film when he decides to “reclaim his manhood.”
The Intern is not a bad film. It has a great premise and a cast that delivers a very
entertaining performance all around. In my opinion, this falls solely on the
shoulders of director and writer Nancy Meyer. Her use of a comedy to deliver a
powerful message about women and the workplace and gender equality falls well
short. But as long as you take it for what it is, most viewers will not have a problem
with the film.
6/10
by Hiram Trillo
