I love Nancy Meyers. I've been a fan since Baby Boom and can watch that movie (along with the Father of the Bride remakes with Steve Martin, The Holiday, It's Complicated, et al.) on repeat. She's witty and she just gets relationships so well which translates in her movies. The gold medal casting is a bonus.
When I was offered the chance to screen The Intern in advance of its opening date this week, I quickly jumped at it. And I am certainly not sorry I did.
The Intern is a different type of relationship movie. It's not a rom-com although it centers around the professional relationship between Robert DeNiro's Ben and Anne Hathaway's Jules. Ben, a widower who has been retired for two years spends his days at Starbucks and attending funerals but still feels that he has something to offer and can be useful. Jules is a young wife and mother and the brainchild behind About the Fit, a booming e-commerce business she forsaking sleep and food to run. From the start, Meyers threw us a curve ball by having the 30-ish Hathaway be the 70 year old DeNiro's boss. There are gestures to Ben's old school ways of working (suit and tie, an attaché case) and to Jules' new age way of working (riding a bike around the office, very long hours.) Some differences are remarkably subtle, others played very much for a laugh.
Anne Hathaway does a wonderful job playing a character that could be brash and ultimately unrelatable but while Jules is driven and focused, she is also allowed to have a soft, emotional side that is revealed at exactly the right time. Rather than becoming a Miranda Priestley knockoff, Jules is more of a Devil Wears Prada Andy, after a few years in the trenches. We understand Jules, feel for her when the judgy moms at the playground are being, well, judgy, over her career and, even better, want Jules to succeed.
As well cast as Hathaway is, Robert DeNiro is even better. He is the heart and soul of The Intern, with a performance so achingly sublime it's miles away from the intensity of Taxi Driver and the in-your-face comedy of Meet the Parents. He makes the movie for me and any time he was off the screen (fortunately not often) was wasted in my opinion. I'm glad that Meyers didn't go cliché or stereotypical with his Ben - - no romance with Jules, no health crisis, no mourning over his situation. Ben keeps it moving and that's refreshing.
The chemistry with DeNiro and Hathaway was true but I also enjoyed seeing his interactions with the younger (i.e., twenties) interns he was working with. Their confusion over his attire, his customs was humorous and it was gratifying to see that while they picked up some tips from him, he also learned from them.
Nancy Meyers not only wrote the script but was at the helm of this movie. To repeat, she is a nuanced writer who understands relationships, whether they be romantic, platonic or familial. You name it and she nails it. She did a splendid job here, writing and directing, showing the relationship between Ben and Jules developing organically, with the seeds of a real companionship taking root.
If you're familiar with previous Meyers movies, yes, there is a nice bit of house porn and even office porn. I always notice this - - love Jules' brownstone, which reminds me of Meg Ryan's in You've Got Mail. Even About the Fit's office is a sharp space, a modernized former factory that reminds me more than just a little of Steve Martin's Sidekicks factory/office from Father of the Bride. And the flowers we see scattered here and there are gorgeous.
Will everyone like The Intern? No, probably not. It's about a relationship but not as talky as When Harry Met Sally. It's humorous but there are also some deep, emotional scars that need to be tended. Nothing explodes or blows up and there is no nudity. Part of Jules' struggle may be difficult for some or offensive to others. If you're not a fan of Hathaway or DeNiro, you may want to take a pass.
I enjoyed it and felt that it was pleasing to the majority of the audience in attendance. Sure, I heard a man behind me say that he was glad he didn't pay but overall, the movie was sprinkled with laughter from the viewers and a satisfied round of applause upon the conclusion. While I couldn't help but wonder if Meyers' muse Diane Keaton would have been cast if Ben had been written to be a female, I left The Intern feeling content, satiated and yes . . . wanting to move into that brownstone.
The Intern opens nationally Thursday evening.
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