Saturday, February 20, 2016

The Intern: sweet, lovable and relaxing

Trailer:


Plot:
Seventy-year-old widower Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro), a retired executive from a phone directory company, applies to a senior citizen intern program after retirement has gotten too boring for him. The company in Brooklyn he applies to is About the Fit, a fast-growing e-commerce fashion startup, whose founder and CEO Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway) had previously agreed to a community outreach program where seniors would intern at the firm. Ben impresses everyone and is one of four hired.

Ben is assigned to work with Jules, who is somewhat skeptical at first. Initially frozen out by her, Ben slowly wins over co-workers with his likability and gets into Jules's good graces. One day, Ben notices Jules's chauffeur drinking, convinces the driver to leave and drives Jules home himself, a role he retains in days to come.

Ben eventually reveals that he once worked in the very same building where About The Fit is now based. He develops a romantic relationship with the in-house massage therapist, Fiona (Rene Russo), and becomes something of a father figure to the younger workers. He is very committed to Jules, and even breaks into the house of Jules's mother to delete an embarrassingly scathing email that Jules inadvertently sent her. Ben also gets to know Jules' family. Her husband, Matt (Anders Holm), gave up his own career to be a stay-at-home dad to their daughter, Paige (JoJo Kushner), when About The Fit started to take off. However, their marriage is slowly breaking apart over Jules's long hours, mainly caused by her very hands-on management style.

Meanwhile, Jules is under pressure to give up her post of CEO to someone outside of the company as her investors feel that she is unable to cope with the workload, having grown About The Fit from a startup founded in her kitchen to a 220-employee juggernaut in only eighteen months. Believing it will give her more time at home with her family, Jules is willing to consider the offer. While driving Paige home from a party, Ben discovers that Matt is having an affair with another parent at Paige's school. While on a business trip in San Francisco to interview a potential CEO candidate, Jules reveals that she knows about Matt's cheating as well.

In an effort to buy herself the time to repair her marriage, Jules decides to hire a prospective CEO. When Jules goes to Ben's home the next day, Ben greatly encourages Jules to think about how much this will change her authority and how her creativity may be tampered with and also reminds her of her passion for her company. Matt unexpectedly drops in at the office and urges her to reconsider, saying that he is willing to make their marriage work. Jules goes out looking for Ben, wanting to tell him that she has changed her mind and finds him obviously enjoying his Tai Chi exercise group. She finally lets herself relax and joins him.


Review:
i absolutely love this movie and how it portrays Ben's character. he's respectful, gentlemanly and endearing. someone deserving of every good turns in life. he is so believable, that should i be Jules, i'd be drawn to him, as a father figure no less. Ben is a person that we say aging gracefully. how lucky is he, huh?

one beef that i have with this movie is the scene where Fiona gives Ben the victor's back rub. man, so unnecessary! it made me took the half star off. also, the smug persona of Adam DeVine is in the movie too and i never like that.. huhu.

the movie also tackles the working mother and stay at home dad issue. how it affects the family, the sacrifice, the give and take relationship, and the consequences. by the way, what's the meaning of humongous? owhh.. googled it. it means huge. well, i have a humongous issue with Jules' reaction over Matt's infidelity. if i were her, it would terribly upset me and instead of a handkerchief, i'd ask for a bludgeon over his head. the nerve! but then, it's Jules and this movie is about a happy ending.. so take a chill pill and join taichi session, y'all!

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