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Wednesday, April 24, 2024
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HOLLYWOOD THE INTERN
EDITOR'S PICK
'The
Intern' - Too good, but a tad insipid
Rating:
***
Nancy Meyers' "The Intern" is a perky and bitter-sweet work-place
comedy. It is a sensitive portrayal of an unconventional internship in a
contemporary scenario.
It is the tale of a bored and lonely 70-year-old widower, Ben Whittaker (Robert
De Niro).
He is a former telephone-directory manufacturer who after trying out a host of
hobbies, which includes Tai Chi and adult education programmes like speaking
Mandarin, comes across a senior internship programme for 'About The Fit', an
e-commerce site.
Excited and eager to learn, Ben applies for the job. After successfully clearing
multiple rounds of interviews, he gets selected for the post.
At the very outset of his appointment, he is informed: "An intern would be
assigned to a person, a team or you may just float in the organisation."
With a happy-to-please and a can-do attitude, Ben joins as an intern who is
assigned to the heavily burdened, 30-something CEO and co-founder Jules Ostin
(Anne Hathaway).
Nancy Meyers' script, sprinkled with a balanced dose of situational humour, has
its funny side in ample measure.
Unfortunately, the plot traverses a formulaic path. What starts off on an
intriguing note, progressively gets predictable with Ben being brusquely ignored
by Jules -- he then, being termed as 'Mr. Congenial' and gradually becoming 'Mr.
Confidential', becomes an unlikely guide dishing out life lessons -- personal
and professional -- to the budding entrepreneur. And while Ben is years ahead of
his boss and his peers, there's no condescension to be found anywhere.
Also, with lack of volatile conflicts and drama, there is vaccuum at the core of
the narration that increasingly becomes an issue. The tale, set in a
near-perfect setting, is too lukewarm to scintillate.
But what keeps you hooked is the sparkling performance by the cast. There is
genuine chemistry between Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway. Though not
romantically paired, both are brilliant together on screen.
Robert De Niro as Ben, the avuncular and bouncing-with-life geriatric, rises to
the occasion. He fits into the organisation and into the lives of its flawed
employees with natural ease. And what's remarkable is that De Niro switches
gears seamlessly -- from the light carefree tone to a serious flushed uneasiness
which stems from being concerned.
He is ably supported by Anne Hathaway. Her Jules -- bogged with work, always on
the move leading a chaotic life as a professional, working wife and a mother --
is very cosmetic. Nevertheless, she delivers a fine performance.
As for the supporting cast -- Rene Russo as the office masseur and Ben's love
interest, Linda Lavin as the other older lady having a crush on Ben along with
Adam DeVine as Jason and Zack Pearlman as Davis -- Ben's office colleagues are
impressive, despite having very thinly written roles.
Visually, with impeccable production designs by Kristi Zea, the film is brightly
shot by Stephen Goldblatt and layered on Theodore Shapiro's lively background
score.
Overall, "The Intern" snugly fits into a bland film for a night-out.
