Four stars. Rated PG-13, for suggestive content and brief profanity
By Derrick Bang • Originally published in The Davis Enterprise, 9.25.15
I love it when a sharp, savvy
script converges with a talented cast able to give every line just the right
reading.
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| Entrusted with a rather unusual "secret mission," Ben (Robert De Niro, far right) and his new acolytes — from left, Jason (Adam DeVine), Davis (Zack Pearlman) and Lewis (Jason Orley) — rush to their destination while discussing optimal approaches to this challenging assignment. |
Writer/director Nancy Meyers has
built a career on cleverly sculpted romantic comedies that are smart and funny,
while — here’s the best part — displaying subtle streaks of social commentary.
Her best films have poked amiable fun at sexism, ageism and the gender divide,
while simultaneously giving us utterly adorable, can’t-miss characters.
Meyers also has a knack for
attracting top talent, whether in Something’s Gotta Give (Jack Nicholson and
Diane Keaton), It’s Complicated (Meryl Streep, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin)
or the shamefully underrated The Holiday (Kate Winslet, Jude Law, Cameron
Diaz and Jack Black).
Yes, Meyers’ films often veer dangerously
close to sloppy sentimentality, but she unerringly stays on the right side of
that line. She’s one of very few contemporary directors with an eye and ear for
what made Hollywood’s Golden Age romantic comedies work so well, while
simultaneously concocting stories — and droll situations — that are very much
Here And Now.
Her newest effort, The Intern, is the best yet: a charming premise that brings the best from stars Robert De
Niro and Anne Hathaway. And, as also is the case with a Nancy Meyers film, she
pays equal attention to all the supporting roles — even the smallest walk-ons —
granting us a rich and thoroughly entertaining tableau.
You’ll have so much fun, that you
may not realize how cleverly Meyers inserts some gentle life lessons.
Ben Whittaker (De Niro), 70 years
old and a widower, is finding retirement less than ideal. He has done all the
traditional things — traveling, exercising, taking classes — but finds them ephemeral
and unfulfilling. He’s lonely but not desperate, restless but not depressed. He
just needs to feel needed.
