When I saw that there was to be a new film called The Intern starring Anne Hathaway, I shamelessly thought ‘oh, here comes another movie about an intern falling for her boss…’ However, The Intern is anything but.
Anne Hathaway’s character Jules Ostin is the boss of a huge company that she started only 18 months previously. She’s busy, ambitious and constantly on her phone and emails, trying her best to keep the online fashion company running smoothly.
She half-heartedly agrees to run a ‘senior internship’ programme without realising that her PA meant senior citizens, not college students. Here’s where efficient and observant widower Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro) steps in after realising retirement isn’t for him, starting an unlikely friendship with Jules.
The movie is heart-warming, funny and well written. With director/writer Nancy Meyers (the genius behind The Holiday and The Parent Trap), you wouldn’t expect anything less.
The audience were audibly sighing at how thoughtful and sweet the character of Ben is, and although Jules comes across as quite cold at first, we soon come to understand the pressure she’s under to balance her family life and her company.
The only issue with this film is that its running time is slightly too long. The second half lags in comparison to the quick-paced and sweeping first, but the story is so investing that this doesn’t become too much of a distraction.
This film also has more to it than meets the eye. Underneath the humour is an accurate portrayal of how successful businesswomen are viewed in society. Jules faces snide backlash from the fellow mum’s at her daughter’s school, and there are comments throughout about the ‘glass ceiling’ of female CEOs that really get you thinking.
It’s enjoyable, sweet and everything a film needs to be. It’s refreshing to watch a film about friendship that isn’t a typical rom-com. The Intern will appeal to a range of people and tug at your heartstrings.
Final rating: 4/5