Film Review: The Intern shows that chemistry knows no age

Nancy Meyer's The Intern is a nuanced look at both post-retirement issues and feminism

If you’re familiar with director Nancy Meyer’s work (The Holiday, What Women Want, The Parent Trap), then you’ll know exactly what to expect from The Intern. Add to that Robert De Niro’s effortless portrayal of a septuagenarian intern and Anne Hathaway’s realistic acting as the founder of a successful startup who is struggling to cope with success, and you have two hours of laughs, tears and one of the best on-screen chemistries I have seen in a while.

In a nutshell, The Intern is the story of retired widower, Ben Whittaker (De Niro), who loved his active life before retirement, becoming an intern at a wildly successful startup and the camaraderie he develops with everyone there, particularly the founder, Jules Ostin (Hathaway). However, the film’s beauty lies in the nuances that Meyers adds within the narrative. The film brings up topics like feminism and the challenges of running a successful startup without really shouting about it from the rooftops. Whether it is Ostin’s insecurities about hiring a CEO for the company she started (to keep venture capitalists happy, of course) or her guilt about being a working mother, the script does not find the need to get loud. The fluid narrative allows the actors to own the issues and not be dramatic about them. The fact that she has not one, but two Academy Award winners to carry the film is a huge advantage.

De Niro is charming as the old-school, gentlemanly (and not very tech savvy) Whittaker. The film’s opening scene shows him at the park with a group of people practicing Tai Chi, which sets the tone for his character. He is the cool grandpa every kid wants and no sooner does he interact with the folks at AboutTheFit (Ostin’s startup) do they take a liking to him. He is at ease, enthusiastic, but not to the point of embarrassing himself or others. He also has a knack for old age humour that is not self-deprecating; what’s not to love? De Niro plays Whittaker with elegance and ease, and the audience falls for him in the first few scenes of the movie. He leads and owns the film without a shade of doubt.

Hathaway’s Ostin is slightly more nuanced and may take a while to warm up to. She is a mother to an eight-year-old girl and wife to a stay-at-home husband, while leading her own online fashion startup. She rarely has time to eat and sleep and uses a bicycle to go around her office (which is not very large). Unlike the rest of her colleagues, she takes a while to warm up to Whittaker, but gets there in the end. Meyers uses this time to reveal more of Ostisn’s character as one sees her interact with her mother (a disembodied voice over the phone for the entire movie), her husband, daughter and clients. Hathaway complements De Niro perfectly.

The supporting cast of the film does a good job with Rene Russo playing the office masseur, Fiona. She is joined by Adam Devine, Zack Pearlman, Andrew Rannels and Anders Holm. Everyone has a role and each plays it well. Even the lady in the beginning who makes the moves on Whittaker (which he subtly dodges) is spot on.

The film’s strength is in the chemistry that its lead characters enjoy. De Niro and Hathaway could well be playing themselves as best buds from different generations. Instead of harping on the age gap, Meyers uses it as a bonding tool. He provides the Zen in her life that only seems rushed at first, but as the story progresses, is chaotic at different levels. In one particular scene where Ostin is throwing up after some irresponsible drinking and Whittaker offers her a “hanky” to clean up, the chemistry is evident as he comforts her. In another scene, both are seated on a hotel bed, and while Ostin tries to justify what has happened in her life, Whittaker calmly points out the flaws in her argument as a friendly grandpa would. A shout out to the make-up artists who added a layer of relatability to the scene allowing Hathaway to appear all red and blotchy while she cried.

Even with a 70-year-old lead character, The Intern does not harp over the issues of old age and life after retirement. While that is the premise that sets things in motion, Whittaker is the problem solver and not the troubled. The balance in screen time for the lead characters makes the film a well-rounded two hours of cinema.

Some may find the film slow in places, mainly because the narrative needs to build itself to the end, but the film leaves one with that happy feeling and a general sense of satisfaction as the credits roll at the end, with both Whittaker and Ostin in the park practising Tai Chi.