I hadn’t heard much about this film, but I like Robert DeNiro(in his non-gangster roles) and I like Ann Hathaway. And, I hadn’t been to a movie in a while, so I thought - what the heck. I was surprised on a Wednesday afternoon how big the audience was, admittedly mostly seniors(including me).
You know how every once in a while a film just all fits together perfectly? Well, this is one of those films. Absolutely delightful, perfect casting, with just a little tension because you’re not sure where things are going. Will the senior intern become ill(almost seems so for a while). Will he become the CEO being sought?
Will she retire? If Robert De Niro is in a film that is not gangster related(in a broad sense), I’ll be there(especially as he has matured). And here, as the senior intern, he is something special. Anne Hathaway, as the company founder, impressed me here, particularly when she cried. Notice that her crying seems real.she gets all red in the face and just looks terrible. She had a nice mix of vulnerable and in-charge scenes.
Rene Russo was interesting as the massage specialist(and love interest for DeNiro). Anders Holm was quite good as Hathaway’s husband, although he had probably the worst looking beard I’ve ever seen in a film. Nice to see Andrew Rannells as an executive at the company. Adam DeVine was quite entertaining as an associate with little luck with women. Zack Pearlman, as another intern, was off-beat but entertaining. Interesting to see Linda Lavin as an older woman out to snare DeNiro.
The story is quite simple. Hathaway founded a woman’s clothing company, and runs it all herself, while still having a family where a "house husband" plays the at-home role. But, he’s having an affair, in large part because she has no time for him. Andrew Rannells wants to institute a senior intern program, and DeNiro becomes the intern for Hathaway. At first she doesn’t like him, or the concept, and asks to have him transferred.although quickly realizes he has helped her center her life a bit. They become very close, with the big question being how can her marriage survive, and will DeNiro guide her to a good solution.
It’s difficult for me to think of something to criticize. It seems all pretty perfect. I guess I could for more characters who shave. But aside from that I wouldn’t want to change anything. Incidentally, the daughter, JoJo Kushner, is terrific.
Just sit back and savor a very fine movie.