Finding retirement humdrum, Robert De Niro’s 70-year-old widower Ben applies for a post as a senior intern at an online fashion start-up and gets assigned as an assistant to its overworked boss, Anne Hathaway’s prickly, awkward, Type-A micro-manager Jules. His worldly wisdom and retro suit-and-tie cool quickly wins over his younger male colleagues, but Jules proves a tougher nut to crack…
Generation-clash comedy The Intern may be set in the up-to-the-minute dot.com world but it’s a defiantly old-fashioned film, the sort of cinematic comfort food that slips down easily with some viewers and proves indigestible to others.
For those in the mood, it’s a real treat; cosy, feelgood fare, for sure, but crafted with tender care and good gags by writer-director Nancy Meyers (It’s Complicated, Something’s Gotta Give). The performances are another delight. De Niro tones down the mugging that sometimes mars his comic performances and turns on the charm, while Hathaway renders her go-getting driven character likeable rather than off-putting.
Yes, the film is a snug fantasy, but the stars’ chemistry ensures its portrayal of an intergenerational friendship is touching and fun.
Certificate 12. Runtime 116 mins. Director Nancy Meyers
The Intern is available from 29 February on Blu-ray, DVD & Digital HD from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU3Xban0Y6A
