The two hours of “The Intern” fly by. It’s no surprise. The new comedy starring Robert de Niro and Anne Hathaway does everything right, and it’s worth every penny of the admission. And more.
The movie tells the story of Ben (de Niro), who decides to apply for an internship program for senior citizens at an online fashion store created by Jules (Hathaway). On his first day, Ben finds that he must report directly to Jules, who is far from being an easy person to work with.
The film’s greatest quality is that it doesn’t make you wait two hours for the predicted ending. Rather, Ben and Jules already become good friends by the halfway mark. From there on, the story can move on to more unpredictable stories and develop other characters. The result is a dynamic movie that never seems to have a dull moment. Something is always happening, whether it concerns Jules’ control of her company or her fight to keep her beloved husband and daughter next to her.
Photography and directing are strong points in “The Intern”. Scenes are not only shot well, but they also communicate points visually, making dialogues direct and economical. When Ben sits in his office desk next to a younger intern, the visuals do the talking (something so obvious that so many movies forget). Ben takes out of his brown leather suitcase a pen, a calculator and a flip phone. His fellow intern takes out of his backpack a hard drive, earbuds and an iPhone. Nothing more needs to be said.
The film works because details like these are not forgotten. “The Intern” has memorable images with unforgettable dialogues. Seeing Ben invade a house to delete an email Jules accidentally sent to her mother is both entertaining and absurd at the same time. De Niro proves he still is a goodfella, and the connection to his past crime films is incredibly satisfying to any movie buff.
On the subject of acting, De Niro and Hathaway put on a master class. Their chemistry here is almost unbeatable. The scene of the two laughing together on the airplane on their way to San Francisco is pure joy, on and off screen. It’s hard not to be touched by the encounter of a true film legend with a young star who seems well on her way to becoming one. And most of these interactions happen when De Niro drives as Hathway’s chauffeur (still a Taxi Driver at heart!).
The Intern is a sweet surprise in a genre saturated by formulaic story lines: opposites meet, struggle and finally come together. There is some of that in here, but Nancy Meyers, director and writer, uses the formula only as a springboard and makes the story move along to interesting scenes, gags and even social debates.
There is more story here than in the formula. The secret are the well developed characters, acted out by people who know their craft. The result is a delicious comedy painted with tones of drama, action, friendship and romance, making you leave the theatre smiling afterwards.
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Grade: A
Verdict: De Niro and Hathaway make magic in “The Intern,” adding together their huge talents to tell a tale of experience, friendship and love.
