Nancy Meyers (writer-director of Something’s Gotta Give and It’s Complicated) is known for her romantic comedies, which often center on women of a certain age. The Intern explores the relationship between Jules and Ben, played by Anne Hathaway and Robert De Niro. If you think a romantic love story between a young woman and a man old enough to be her grandfather sounds more like Woody Allen’s territory than that of Meyers, you’re correct. The love story here is that of a friendship. Jules is the CEO of an online fashion company who hires retired widower De Niro to be her intern as part of a community outreach program. What transpires is an unlikely and touching bond between the two. Part of the fun of the film is watching De Niro play an old school, class act who has to interact with his man-child co-workers. He’s a throwback of another era trying to relate to 30-year-old dudes who still play video games. Rounding out the workplace ensemble are Rene Russo, Andrew Rannells, Adam DeVine and Anders Holm. In theaters Sept. 25.
