What do you get when a millennial hires a baby boomer as her intern? The feel good comedy film of the year.
Anne Hathaway shines as a stylish and successful business woman alongside Robert Di Nero, who is so natural in his role, you’ll forget he’s acting. Whether their poking fun at Generation Y’s deteriorating fashion sense or the fact that Generation X still have love lives, The Intern has something for everyone. The generation gap was strongly depicted and the message was plain and simple; women have the ability to have a career and control a family at the same time just as retired people have the ability to be successful in the tech world.
The women empowerment agenda in this film was shown from the beginning. Jules Ostin (Hathaway) is a boss that has is not like any other. While she’s rather absent from her family life, her significant other seems to have full control over it. The challenges of working women is still alive and strong, and Hathaway gives a solid performance on behalf of them. More commendable is Meyer’s attempt to bring forth ”menimist” issues. The concept of ”a house husband” was addressed and the fact that men need to start being called men and not ”boys.” Yes, Meyer, yes!
The film is a quick one, and not too much thinking is involved. But beware audiences, this is definitely a hipster film. Briefcases are shown as stylish and the boss riding her bike around the office is seen as cool. Also, shout out to the South Asian character who had dialogue for 30 seconds in the film as well as an addition 30 seconds of screen time. Progress!
Nancy Meyer’s effort to end the stigma that women can’t be workaholics have to be applauded. But there were definitely some flaws. The film wastes a lot of time around Di Nero’s character trying to find a place in the office under is ”senior internship program”, pretty much diminishing the point of his retirement. Go do some charity work! Still, Hathaway and De Niro have some real chemistry, and by the end of the film, they have developed something you rarely see represented in films: a male-female friendship that’s raw and authentic – and doesn’t involve sex.
So sit back and relax, The Intern is a film you’ll definitely want to watch again.
Rating: 8.5/10
