correction: Michael Cera is not in this film.
I just caught this movie on HBO. My father became a widower at 75 and my older brother went unemployed in 2008 and was never able to find another good job thereafter (age discrimination) -- so I was interested in the premise of being an older intern in the "new economy." My dad would have wondered what a USB drive was and my brother fit the preconception of the female lead -- she didn't want or see the value in having an older worker.
Well, the movie didn't help better grasp either family member. Robert De Niro was too well-adjusted, always happy, never put-off, and thrilled to be less-than-a-secretary with no pay. He was also way too visible for being so old in such a young environment, as he was never really passed by or properly ignored or disregarded by his co-workers -- and it felt inevitable that Anne Hathaway would vault him to the top of her advisor list.
So, I was disappointed with the age issue. My dad was too much of a dinosaur and too able to do real work, and my brother would have quit within a week b/c if you can't learn anything on the job or be given anything meaningful to do -- monied retirement is better (as in Golf and Starbucks without a suit.)
The plot driver of infidelity between an obsessive 80 hr work week woman and a listless, emasculated house-husband was lame -- and is why other responders felt the movie's novel promise faded into utter blandness.
Well, the movie didn't help better grasp either family member. Robert De Niro was too well-adjusted, always happy, never put-off, and thrilled to be less-than-a-secretary with no pay. He was also way too visible for being so old in such a young environment, as he was never really passed by or properly ignored or disregarded by his co-workers -- and it felt inevitable that Anne Hathaway would vault him to the top of her advisor list.
So, I was disappointed with the age issue. My dad was too much of a dinosaur and too able to do real work, and my brother would have quit within a week b/c if you can't learn anything on the job or be given anything meaningful to do -- monied retirement is better (as in Golf and Starbucks without a suit.)
The plot driver of infidelity between an obsessive 80 hr work week woman and a listless, emasculated house-husband was lame -- and is why other responders felt the movie's novel promise faded into utter blandness.
Insulting to those of us of a certain age who are tech aware. Typical Hollywood pap. Cliche after cliche. As predictable as tomorrow's sunrise.
3
I too caught up with this movie on HBO the other evening. I tuned in because I know how funny Di Niro can be (at least to me) and I l felt that the idea of a 70 year old "intern" in an online company full of tech-savvy young people was replete with humorous possibilities. But of course the story is about the growing friendship and mutual respect between Ben and Jules and how that impacts upon a major career decision she has to make. I thought the story was well paced and engaging throughout, if a bit overly sentimental at times and a bit fantastical at others. In short, I took the movie at face value and as a result enjoyed it immensely!
5
I finally saw this film last night on Hbo and feel that it is a mixed bag,parts of it were funny and other parts were unbelievable and sappy.I also felt that the ending left a lot to be desired
First hour--surprisingly good. Second hour--ouch. Why are movies like this 2 hours long?
2
Don't like Ann's acting. You can see her acting.
1
There used to be a time when New Yorkers, at least the educated, well travelled and not-so-provincial ones, made fun of stupid scripts with little need for talented acting, that insulted smart women, modern women, real women dilemmas and real New York. In this film you had New York city, and that too Brooklyn, set in Omaha of the 70s, except for the lovely trendy interiors. This movie is a more pretentious version of "The Devil Wears Prada", except the once-ideal-earthly protagonist in that movie is all heels and nice clothes in a "Start-Up" that does not invent anything but sells on the Internet (how amazing is that?). We also have pretty sniffling white office girls, including the boss protagonist, who wants old masculinity with a house husband, and boy-men who dress like teens-in-a-rush (the latter complaint I agree with) that need to be told to be old gentlemanly. How lucky is this pretty selling-boss to have such employees, including a respectful loving elderly intern who gives her a hanky, takes her kid to a birthday party and sternly advises Ms Princess's hubby to stop having an affair.
I am not old, but in today's Hollywood, I discern, women above 45 are still serving men as mothers, wives or girlfriends, and serving younger women as bitchy bosses or masseuse. This movie is backwardness in heels, skirts and selling on the internet.
I am not old, but in today's Hollywood, I discern, women above 45 are still serving men as mothers, wives or girlfriends, and serving younger women as bitchy bosses or masseuse. This movie is backwardness in heels, skirts and selling on the internet.
5
Great movie for me since I am in that age group (60+) and my last job involved working with a very young crowd. I was only there for a year and a half. I chuckled at the difficulty De Niro got when working with a younger crowd. I had very similar moments. In the end I left when I realized the job they hired me for wasn't a good fit for my experience and abilities and it was time to move on.... Came way with a very different perspective about the workplace and the challenges older workers have. We called it the generation gap when I was young. Not sure what they call it now...LOL.
They should do a sequel where she gets totally compromised in business and he becomes her "fixer"
2
Watching now ... good New York movie, but, now that NYT mentions it, there is very little diversity for New York! What New York is this? Otherwise, I am enjoying it as a native New Yorker who was a young career woman in the 1980s.
2
New York people like to criticize things.
Maybe you need a year-long fix of green chile, blue skies and starry nights and you'll be able to just to smile and enjoy something that isn't a ponderous machine engineered to Hoover up Oscars.
I just saw it and really liked it. Sweet little jewel of a movie. Nice little break from going to work, making dinner, and doing dishes. Two thumbs up, as the nice man from Chicago used to say.
Maybe you need a year-long fix of green chile, blue skies and starry nights and you'll be able to just to smile and enjoy something that isn't a ponderous machine engineered to Hoover up Oscars.
I just saw it and really liked it. Sweet little jewel of a movie. Nice little break from going to work, making dinner, and doing dishes. Two thumbs up, as the nice man from Chicago used to say.
8
Totally agree... We loved this movie. Ms. Manhola must be living in a tortured little world where a movie has no merit unless it's loaded with f-bombs, sex scenes or is on a politically-charged rant of some kind.
3
My husband and I, nearing retirement, loved this movie. Loved the acting, the humor, the scenery, and even the schmaltz. We identified with the appreciation of the older, wiser worker who seems to be marginalized these days. Being an almost exclusive online shopper, I loved seeing the behind the scenes workings of an online fashion operation (even though yes it was fantasy - but what's wrong with fantasy?). Don't think too much - just sit back and enjoy the show!
12
I found this movie to be total nonsense. I am not a movie screen writer but I could have told you the entire plot before I walked into the theater. There wasn't one degree of creativity in this movie . I realize everyone in the movie has bills to pay and can be forgiven for making it. What I don't understand is why Manohia Dargis didn't just say save your money and go see The Martian.
3
Unfortunately Manohla Dargis missed the positive in this movie. There's a bit of hidden comedy here like DeNiro first day at work when he comes in in his tie and suit with his attache case and sits at his desk opens it and proceeds to put out his pen and pencil, note pad, calculator,and small clock then opens his laptop- a bygone era. Then the use of the hanky- I'm going to start carry one. But the story is about Jules (Anne Hathaway) really and it has a feel good ending.
5
am i missing the meta here? is there some reason this review has to have all the tics it is attributing to the movie? if i go to this movie will be be like i have to relive this review?
1
It's a movie review. Lighten up. I was a supporter of serious films for a long time. But my work and the world got very, very serious and I engaged in that. I get tired of focusing on suffering and seriousness sometimes. If you want serious, read the news instead of movie reviews. Better yet, work hard, go out and change the world or make it better. After doing that, you might want a little light entertainment. (Maybe that's what Bob wants...maybe he's sick of "brilliant.")
2
The house-husband ( sorry- "stay at home" character) was such a cliche, right down to his Mr. Rogers' elbow patches on his sweater.
I was surprised by De Niro's performance because he has mostly irritated me in recent years. He was pretty good.
Still remember him fondly as a handsome romantic lead in The Last Tycoon." Too bad he never had more of those roles
I was surprised by De Niro's performance because he has mostly irritated me in recent years. He was pretty good.
Still remember him fondly as a handsome romantic lead in The Last Tycoon." Too bad he never had more of those roles
2
This movie was a good couple of hours' worth of escapism and I enjoyed it. It was clearly targeted at my mid-30s tech professional female demographic and that suited me just fine.
OK, it's no '12 Years A Slave'. It's not going to win any Oscars. And it was disturbingly white considering that it was set in Brooklyn (surely they could have had at least one of the 'assorted bromantic schlumps' not be white?) but it was still a fun couple of hours. It did tackle some of the burning first-world-problem issues that Gen X or Y people face and the need for a parent figure when your own parents are not available or engaged.
OK, it's no '12 Years A Slave'. It's not going to win any Oscars. And it was disturbingly white considering that it was set in Brooklyn (surely they could have had at least one of the 'assorted bromantic schlumps' not be white?) but it was still a fun couple of hours. It did tackle some of the burning first-world-problem issues that Gen X or Y people face and the need for a parent figure when your own parents are not available or engaged.
9
What surprised me is that the casting director here did not think that a BROOKLYN startup would have a single Asian....Indian....let alone a black person .... employed in ANY capacity. Not even the IT team. They were all white.
I was very disappointed in this film; it's a rip off of "The Devil Wears Prada," a much better film, with Ms. Hathaway as the boss this time around, but a kinder, more gentle boss, and much less tension. This one was basically one stereotype after another, all strung together in a very loose fashion. Its interesting none of the critics have pounced on this. The film does not deserve the reviews its gotten.
5
Any other female lead? Hathaway is a bore.
5
Unfortunately, I saw this within a few days of having seen Lily Tomlin, Marcia Gay Harden, and a great supporting cast in "Grandma." That had more laughs, and more earned emotion. The apartments and Los Angeles also looked great - in fact, it was sort of a valentine to life. I wanted to like Meyers' movie, if only as escapism, but found it left a bad aftertaste, like artisanal coffee made by someone who spent more time on the coffee shop decor than they did on the product.
4
At 72,Robert DeNiro is still a great actor. And,if you're a Robert Townsend fan,be aware that Jules Ostin has a friend/client named Mark Townsend.
2
An extraordinary, lovely movie, reaffirming what Pope Francis and the Daly Lama have known for decades: old guys rule!
4
Can't a movie just be two hours of escapist entertainment with a couple of A-list actors, beautiful shots of Brooklyn and some lines that elicited knowing laughter? This movie won't change the world, but given the dreary parade of computer-generated blockbusters and over-the-top horror flicks recently, this was a nice change of pace. I got my $15 worth.
28
Saw this with my wife. While we generally liked the film, despite its implausibility, Nancy Meyers still doesn't have a talent for direction. Her approach to the second half of the film is basically master shot, closeup, reverse closeup, closeup, reverse closeup ... We got bored staring at the actors' faces for the last hour as they just talk and talk.
6
It was a mushy, throwaway story with all the right pockets of sentimentality accompanied by 50s' Gene Kelly-style string accompaniment, and a wonderful way for this boomer to spend an afternoon. Robert DeNiro's facial expression and pure loving presence made a migraine headache feel like a pleasure. And Anne Hathaway, as frivolous a character as she played, is evanescent. You can't expect an Abel Gance experience from films like this—so why analyze? As the millennials like to say, "It is what it is."
6
Good grief….as you say in the first sentence of this review, it’s a “lifestyle fantasy” and the trailers make it clear. The theater was full, mostly of boomer types, and the audience laughed in the right places. Want to escape for a few hours? Go see the movie. It’s not nuclear physics.
18
From some of the comments, and certainly this review, the director wished upon a star that her movie would be the best of all, but was not granted that wish.
I have a wish too, and I will wish it upon the rare blood moon eclipse--that Mr. De Niro will make a movie of substance and dramatic depth at least once more to bestow upon us once again his singular brilliance as one of the greatest actors of our time.
I have a wish too, and I will wish it upon the rare blood moon eclipse--that Mr. De Niro will make a movie of substance and dramatic depth at least once more to bestow upon us once again his singular brilliance as one of the greatest actors of our time.
7
Watch the trailer, the whole movie in 3 minutes.
6
Nancy Meyers? Pass.
4
So is this Meyers-style forced fed homogeneity a virtue?
In a business in which Hispanics labor at statistically insignificant percentages -- despite population numbers , we are to understand that the likes of Meyers -- like Woody Allen and Apatou -- from a ruling class which apparently remain aloof to the 99% reality of the world around them are justifiably entitled. Okeydokey. :)
In a business in which Hispanics labor at statistically insignificant percentages -- despite population numbers , we are to understand that the likes of Meyers -- like Woody Allen and Apatou -- from a ruling class which apparently remain aloof to the 99% reality of the world around them are justifiably entitled. Okeydokey. :)
3
what do Hispanics have to do with this?
2
My point exactly. Unless a movie takes place in a barrio-like setting we don't belong anywhere else. So read my comment
2
Like Allen, Ms. Meyers lives in a very affluent and privileged world that is -- apparently -- 100% white.
If you view her films, they are notable for the complete absence of minorities of ANY kind -- hispanic, black, asian -- and in this film, it's BROOKLYN (a very vibrant city of many ethnicities!) and most of her other films are set in California, which is majority-minority.
I can only guess that Meyers is utterly unaware of this, and just doesn't "see" minorities in her milieu. She also doesn't see anyone of remotely ordinary income, as every character -- even a retired 70 year old widower -- lives like they were millionaires in posh brownstones that would easily cost $10 million.
If you view her films, they are notable for the complete absence of minorities of ANY kind -- hispanic, black, asian -- and in this film, it's BROOKLYN (a very vibrant city of many ethnicities!) and most of her other films are set in California, which is majority-minority.
I can only guess that Meyers is utterly unaware of this, and just doesn't "see" minorities in her milieu. She also doesn't see anyone of remotely ordinary income, as every character -- even a retired 70 year old widower -- lives like they were millionaires in posh brownstones that would easily cost $10 million.
1
My comment on the previous commenter who said this movie was "boring": This movie was SOOO bearable! I LOVED it and didn't want it to end. It was utterly delightful! AND, my mom, who's in her 90's (!) LOVED it, too! She laughed and lighted up! Such a worthwhile escape. A sweet world we wouldn't mind living in... So, I don't know what kind of entertainment you consider not boring, but i wouldn't want it. How, by the way, do you write a comment about something you've never seen. But, then, again, you know your taste and you don't like the director. But, it was heavenly to watch. AND, as my mom's sole caregiver, I, too, needed something "delightful" to nourish my heart and mind when my life is very, very, very stressful caring for my mom alone. I don't want to see vile, violent movies. I want to see a real interaction where people are caring. If that's boring... well, sign meh up!
12
Why are Hollywood's male protagonists so often widowers?
3
Wishful thinking?
1
Obviously it is possible to be a widower -- my mom died 20 years before my dad -- but it is not typical. Go into any Assisted Living home, and you will see that something like 90% of the residents are WOMEN. Women live longer, and most women outlive their husbands.
Yet we rarely see widows, and even this film shows a widow (Linda Lavin) as threatening, homely, undesirable and "desperate for a man" -- throwing herself at utterly disinterested DeNiro.
It is unthinkable that a film would be made about a lively 70 year old widow, who gets a Senior Intern job at an internet startup run by a good looking hip 35 year old entrepreneur. Literally unthinkable.
Yet we rarely see widows, and even this film shows a widow (Linda Lavin) as threatening, homely, undesirable and "desperate for a man" -- throwing herself at utterly disinterested DeNiro.
It is unthinkable that a film would be made about a lively 70 year old widow, who gets a Senior Intern job at an internet startup run by a good looking hip 35 year old entrepreneur. Literally unthinkable.
2
sounds like another unbearable bore from Nancy Meyers.
9
This movie was SOOO bearable! I LOVED it and didn't want it to end. It was utterly delightful! AND, my mom, who's in her 90's (!) LOVED it, too! She laughed and lighted up! Such a worthwhile escape. A sweet world we wouldn't mind living in... So, I don't know what kind of entertainment you consider not boring, but i wouldn't want it. How, by the way, do you write a comment about something you've never seen. But, then, again, you know your taste and you don't like the director. But, it was heavenly to watch. AND, as my mom's sole caregiver, I, too, needed something "delightful" to nourish my heart and mind when my life is very, very, very stressful caring for my mom alone. I don't want to see vile, violent movies. I want to see a real interaction where people are caring. If that's boring... well, sign meh up!
2
James, maybe you shouldn't go see the movie. Most of us in the "rest of the country" sure did love it, but you know how "we" are...
In one theater, at least, it was a joy (for the whole audience, I believe) to step away from our stresses and enjoy watching De Niro and Ann Hathaway engage us in a "too simple for critics" entertaining movie. There'll be no Grammys here, but there will be millions of happier, less stressed people who don't listen to critics or elitist, after seeing The Intern.
In one theater, at least, it was a joy (for the whole audience, I believe) to step away from our stresses and enjoy watching De Niro and Ann Hathaway engage us in a "too simple for critics" entertaining movie. There'll be no Grammys here, but there will be millions of happier, less stressed people who don't listen to critics or elitist, after seeing The Intern.
8
No Grammys? Of course not. Grammys are music awards.
1
The same criticism could be made of Driving Miss Daisy, and I enjoyed that movie, so I'll give this one a chance, even though the trailer seemed to really strain to sell it.
1
I actually found the film to be much better than the trailer led me to believe. This film, It's Complicated, and Something's Gotta Give are all delightful, escapist fun with many laugh-out-loud moments. I especially appreciate that Nancy Meyers provides smart romantic comedies from a female (and mature) perspective, a nice antidote to the sophmoric male-fantasy vehicles from Judd Apatow.
It is clear that the critic does not like Ms. Meyers or any of her movies. Why not allow another critic to provide the review.
4
What a silly question. The editors at the Times don't have time or inclination to assign critics based on their supposed prejudices. And the notion of assigning a critic only if she likes a director is...well loony.
4
I agree!! We LOVED the movie!! Just "delightful!!" as my elderly mom called it! And, she should know! She grew up in LA and was a performer all her life!
1
I like her comment about the reviewer not liking the director. I think its way too biased and just not accurate in any way.... We LOVED the moved. What kind of entertainment does this "critic" like anyway? I really don't care. I hope nobody pays attention to his or her "boring" review. Really, the movie is PERFECT! Just made my elderly mom and I simply FEEL GOOD. That's what we needed. In a very very very stressful life, we needed something kind, generous and just plain good. And, that's what we got! Enjoy!
3
Hollywood lives on cliches and 'Ben' is certainly that. I'm about the same age as 'Ben' and I have never packed a 'laundered handkerchief' in my life. My father's generation? Maybe. This flick surely doesn't deliver an affirmative message to young, smart, assertive women, does it. No, you can't 'have it all', stop trying, and get back where you belong. And let 'Ben' clean up your messes and run the show. As 'Nature' intended.
10
Yes, I noticed that too. Ben was too old-school for a 70 year old. They said he graduated in 1965? Just in time for the Summer of Love and experimental drug use and turning on, tuning in and dropping out etc. Hardly the kind of person to carry a laundered handkerchief or work for the same company for 40 years.
I guess a 90 year old intern would have been a bit of a stretch... both in terms of casting and credibility.
I guess a 90 year old intern would have been a bit of a stretch... both in terms of casting and credibility.
6
My dad would be 90 if he were alive and he never carried a "freshly laundered handkerchief" in his life. I am not even sure if Grandpa ever did! Come on! They invented KLEENEX about a century ago!
Give me a break. Some times a cigar is just a cigar. No hidden between the line meanings, and subtle messages. It was purely entertainment. It was relaxing entertainment. How many of us wished we still had that Ben fatherlike figure watching us and giving us guidance?
if you answer this with a "not me", you're lying.
if you answer this with a "not me", you're lying.
11
Beeg ditto! Love your comment! We, my elderly mom and I LOVED this movie! A delightful escape on so many levels. People communicating, humor, exquisite environment I wished we lived in, and people I wish I lived around. I was captivated. A lovely fantasy... made both my mom and I feel better! And, that's why we go to the movies! I can't imagine what that reviewer enjoys in movies. I don't think I'd want to see the ones he/she likes (can't tell if its a woman or a man by the name. maybe a woman since it ends in an "a"). Anyhooo, so grateful to behold DeNiro and Hathaway for 2 hours and all the other characters. Just beautiful!
2
when Mr. De Niro breaks out his terrifying ear-to-ear Soupy Sales grin — Rupert Pupkin, his nut job from “The King of Comedy,what a great line
4
Why do people have to over analyze movies? Why can't they just enjoy them? I took a Film Appreciation class in college (didn't we all?) and the teacher, a (mainly) TV director said the biggest problem with a class like his was that it would be difficult to go to the movies for pleasure, but always be analyzing them. I go to movies for fun, not analysis.
4
Ugh. Went to see this last night and left about 75 mins in. Incredibly dull. Good actors, decent premise, beautiful setting...awful script. Surprised that DeNiro and Hathaway did not identify the poor script and either turn down the project or lobby for rewriting.
9
it's not about a "poor" script, A-list actors like deNiro and Hathaway have basically two reasons for accepting a role: a great character or a really good paycheck. They sometimes get both but usually it's one or the other. In this case it seems to be the other.
2
I just saw the movie and must strongly take issue with James' view that "it's not about a "poor" script". If not for the script, the actors would just stand around and look at each other for 90+ minutes. As as paying audience member I expect to hear words and watch plot development which justifies the investment of my time and money.
The script of this movie delivered neither. While I'm certain Mr. De Niro and Ms. Hathaway (and their agents, managers and other reps) walked away with nice pay checks, I waited through the closing credits hoping to receive ~my~ payday. No such luck.
It was as if Ms Meyers ran out of time or money or ideas and finally called out "Cut!" and left the movie set. Totally unsatisfying. It was as if we all were (Unpaid) Audience Interns.
The script of this movie delivered neither. While I'm certain Mr. De Niro and Ms. Hathaway (and their agents, managers and other reps) walked away with nice pay checks, I waited through the closing credits hoping to receive ~my~ payday. No such luck.
It was as if Ms Meyers ran out of time or money or ideas and finally called out "Cut!" and left the movie set. Totally unsatisfying. It was as if we all were (Unpaid) Audience Interns.
7
My elderly mom and i LOVED the movie. Just what the doctor ordered... it was sweet and uplifting and kind and good... all we needed in a life full of pain and suffering...
1
I watched the movie last night and loved it. It is charming and lots of fun. We all have someone like Mr. De Niro's character in our lives: a dad, a grandpa or a boss who's held on to an alarm clock, a calculator and even a land line. We all know someone like Ms. Hathaway's character: a hipster who's embraced wholeheartedly Silicon Valley's culture. Their interaction is lovely and despite its rom-com roots, the movie manages to portray today's generational work place and cultural battles very honestly and with lots of humor.
3
Ditto! LOVED the movie! A wonderful, sweet escape! And LOVED Hathaway and De Niro together. Just delightful!
This is a great movie. I like the story line. Jules struggles with having it all as a working woman and Ben is retired but not yet dead. I like the values he keeps of being a gentleman; the old fashion values. In the age of special effects and blowing things up to sell a movie. I'm glad the writer relied on telling a story without special effects. Maybe we can find solutions and peace to the working mothers ms those retired but not yet dead. There are valuable experience in the old worker. They are not old news. Thank you for telling this story. Ps- im in my 30s. Thank you
3
Truth in Advertising--- one look at the posters plastered around the city, and I knew what this review would be about.
1
It appears from the review and the trailer that this movie is a comedy. If it is, then the reviewer has failed to answer the central question: Is it funny?
(The failure to answer this question seems to me to be a frequent one in the NYTime's reviews of comedies.)
(The failure to answer this question seems to me to be a frequent one in the NYTime's reviews of comedies.)
7
We TOTALLY laughed!! The movie's funny! Definitely! If it can make my 90+ yr old mother who's from LA and has performed on stage all her life, then ITS FUNNY! She LOVED it!
my word...so many raves from the same person.... you aren't by chance in the pay of Nancy Myers?
9
My God Sarah, you've got to stop, for your own good.
5
The performances are fine, or even better, but the story comes up short and sort of spoils the movie. It felt, and looked, as if the marriage conflict was thought up in post-production as a solution for being overly bland. Hate to be so blunt, but seeing this once was enough.
8
I thought it was a charming movie with some lovely moments between the various actors. The pacing between the serious and the comedic bits was well done, and I thought the characters were reasonably developed for a lighthearted film. I've seen plenty of one-dimensional, cliche potrayals in other movies and these were far from that. Not every film has to (or can) represent everyone's reality or probe the deepest existential questions. I actually saw the film as opposed to most of the commenters. But hey, what do I know?
5
I critique a movie by how many times I look at my watch.
Didn't have to look at it once during "The Intern".
Didn't have to look at it once during "The Intern".
An insipid and self-centered review that says more about the writer's shortcomings than it does about any of the film's flaws. It's telling that Ms. Dargis finds the screenplay so "lazy" and "silly" at times, but has never written a screenplay of her own. She's a product of academia's dusty treatment of the film industry, one that imagines the industry in its own image but has little experience in the "business" to show for it.
2
You don't have to write a screen play, a book, or a poem, etc., to know whether it is dreck.
4 of us went to see it: 3 women and a man. The man hated it, while the women felt mixed. We loved the interiors and details of the film, but felt it was slow and not believable after the first 20 minutes. That notwithstanding, there were many hysterically funny moments and an adorable child actress. Brooklyn looked great. DeNiro was great to the point that we could forget he was the psychopath bully brooder of his early films. However, his character as a 50 year native of Brooklyn? Hard to believe... and wait til you see his closet...Only in the movies.
6
Oh, I enjoyed the pretty interiors and Hathaway's stylish wardrobe -- it just isn't believable though as the clothes or homes of REAL PEOPLE. It's like fashion porn, or lifestyle magazine porn, or pinterest on steroids.
Meyers is famous for this; all her characters are always very wealthy white people in elite areas (probably the only places Meyers has ever been) and they have oodles of money. One that really offended me was in "It's Complicated", Meryl Streep's character stand in the most luxurious enormous kitchen -- all marble counters and Subzero fridge and stuff -- and announces she is ripping out this $100K kitchen to put in presumably a $150K kitchen with even fancier stuff. Pure lifestyle magazine porn, and nobody even remarks on this or questions it, or suggests her kitchen is pretty incredibly luxurious AS IT IS.
So I suppose given that, she thinks an 70 year old retired marketing guy from Old Brooklyn (not hipster Brooklyn) would have a walk-in wardrobe the size of a small apartment, and more fancy clothes than a billionaire.
Meyers must be one of the most out of touch people in Hollywood. And that's saying a LOT.
Meyers is famous for this; all her characters are always very wealthy white people in elite areas (probably the only places Meyers has ever been) and they have oodles of money. One that really offended me was in "It's Complicated", Meryl Streep's character stand in the most luxurious enormous kitchen -- all marble counters and Subzero fridge and stuff -- and announces she is ripping out this $100K kitchen to put in presumably a $150K kitchen with even fancier stuff. Pure lifestyle magazine porn, and nobody even remarks on this or questions it, or suggests her kitchen is pretty incredibly luxurious AS IT IS.
So I suppose given that, she thinks an 70 year old retired marketing guy from Old Brooklyn (not hipster Brooklyn) would have a walk-in wardrobe the size of a small apartment, and more fancy clothes than a billionaire.
Meyers must be one of the most out of touch people in Hollywood. And that's saying a LOT.
Pinterest, Freud, Judd Apatow, Daniel Day-Lewis, Fifty Shades of Grey, Mr. Fix-It, Rupert Pupkin, Forbes, Travis Bickle, Soupy Sales, Architectural Digest - can you guess a review of what movie is it?
1
So is this movie good or bad? I can't tell from the review. Serious question: What do readers think of it?
LOVED this movie! Go see it if you just want to enjoy and have a wonderful, delightful experience!
It was cute and my girlfriend loved it. Tired of "action" movies with people endlessly being killed. Relax and have some fun, even if its soap -operish.
i liked DeNiro in "Everybody's Fine" so I'll probably like him in this movie too since the plots are basically the same - "widowed retiree does something with his remaining life." DeNiro is a seasoned screen actor and hopefully his presence will neutralize Ms. Hathaway's over-the-top acting.
Or, you can simply be entertained. What a wonderfully novel idea.
4
I just saw the movie. It was slow but a refreshing break from all the violence in movies and the news. Some readers have said it's unrealistic lily white. Well, many whites live in that world that they built and that so many want to desperately live in. And that is what Hollywood can offer as a fantasy.
1
What the royal heck is your reviewer talking about?? References to Travis Bickle, Soupy Sals, (exaggerated grins) Daniel Day Lewis ( The Last Of The Mohicains) etc., are... weird. Please, NY Times Review Staff, start interfacing with your "Seasoned Reviewers". Those who write book, play movie, TV reviews are writing more and more for themselves and not for the readers who are seeking advise about choices of good entertainment.
I haven't seen, The Intern, but I hear it is a lighthearted comedy in which DeNiro has a great performance and delivers a good message. Jean
I haven't seen, The Intern, but I hear it is a lighthearted comedy in which DeNiro has a great performance and delivers a good message. Jean
5
De Niro is doing wonderful publicity for this movie, so I am sure it will be a hit for he, Ms. Hathaway, and Ms. Meyers.
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/de-niro-walks-interview-...
3
I won't be tempted to watch this even when it shows up on Lifetime.
6
The movie is AWESOME! Utterly delightful!! Go see it if you want to just let go and enjoy! Really! Its lovely and sweet and kind - unless you don't like those things. I sure needed something kind and good – so rare in this world....
As soon as I saw the trailer for this months ago, the thought immediately sprang to my mind, "Why on earth did this movie have to be made?" There is nothing new or original here, it's total fluff set in a lily-white, upper-middle-class world.
13
A little light entertainment does the soul good. No need to overthink a movie. Sometimes it's simply good to exercise the heart and smile muscles.
1
This type of movie seems like the type of movie the movie's main character would sit at home and watch and cry over and and be inspired by to make changes in their life, to be more human. A little too self-contained.
3
I've seen only the trailer, but my impression of the film echoes this review.
3
Ok, I admit to being a Father of the Bride fan, but yes, Ms Meyers is not one for really looking at behavior. But she does give a lot of actors of a certain age (my age) work. I'm sure she is a dragon lady. Anyone know her back story?
4
"Father of the Bride" is funny. After reading this review, I have no idea whatsoever if the reviewer thinks this movie is funny.
The question remains , did you like or dislike this movie? It seems to lean towards dislike, but you feel the need to protect a woman film maker. A thousand word review and I'm left scratching my head.
2
I did not see this review as "protecting a woman film maker." Quite the reverse, in fact. Dargis seemed to be picking on her in a way she would not have done if she were writing about a male director.
4
Mr. DeNiro must have an awful lot of children to put through college.
17
Or, perhaps, he's of an age where he simply wants to relax and enjoy himself. Nice place to be.
1
Movie sounds like another awful DeNiro film. Why does he insist on doing light comedies instead of more serious work. He has so diminished his acting cred by appearing in so many awful films. Also his personality in interviews makes him appear to be grumpy unpleasant person. What happened to the brilliance of Taxi Driver, Deer Hunter etc.
5
If you were a serious actor trying to keep working in today's Hollywood, you'd be grumpy and unpleasant too.
"What happened to the brilliance of Taxi Driver, Deer Hunter etc."
Where is the audience that supported such films?
"What happened to the brilliance of Taxi Driver, Deer Hunter etc."
Where is the audience that supported such films?
16
He was brilliant in the 2012 movie Being Flynn. If you love De Niro, you'll enjoy this.
Mr. De Niro has been a introvert .....I have no idea why he does these......... except pure boredom. I really rather he would stop. He's creeping me out acting nice and all................
2
You know what this looks like a fun film and I'm going to see it.
19
Go for it Mikey! Saw it last night and it's totally a delightful film.
2 things: I hope this movie is reasonably enjoyable because DeNiro's "As long as the check clears" role choices in recent years ("Grudge Match", anyone?) are starting to make Michael Caine look ~selective~.
Second thing: Will someone please find an editor for Dargis' stream-of-consciousness movie reviews? This review was so disjointed by the time I finished reading it I felt like I'd just stepped off the carnival Tilt-a-Whirl.
Second thing: Will someone please find an editor for Dargis' stream-of-consciousness movie reviews? This review was so disjointed by the time I finished reading it I felt like I'd just stepped off the carnival Tilt-a-Whirl.
32
The running time for this movie is 130 minutes--a comedy that long must run terribly thin. As for the review, everybody says "Grand Central Station"--we know it's a "terminal," but lighten up.
1
Is there any hope that the next Nancy Meyers movie can be assigned to a different reviewer? As it is, I'm at the point where I can write them without reading them. There seems to be a much-too-symbiotic relationship between Ms. Meyers and her inevitable "critic." It was difficult for me to make it all the way through this little essay. About as difficult as it is for me to make it all the way through a film by Nancy Meyers.
4
Wow!
New heights have been established for incoherent movie reviews!
New heights have been established for incoherent movie reviews!
30
By "incoherent," I take it you mean such qualities as being complicated, challenging, and not simplistically reducing a film to a thumbs up or down judgment?
The fact is, Ms. Darhgis's review eludicates many aspects of the film's script, plot, performances, and direction. The "incoherence" is more an aspect of the film's contradictory implications and goals.
The fact is, Ms. Darhgis's review eludicates many aspects of the film's script, plot, performances, and direction. The "incoherence" is more an aspect of the film's contradictory implications and goals.
2
When did it become critically unacceptable for a Hollywood film to be light, airy and fun? I shudder at the thought of what Ms. Dargis might have done to "It Happened One Night" or "The Lady Eve". If you leave a theater feeling better than you did when you went in, who gives a rip about social relevance or whether everything you've seen passes the sniff test?
33
"The Lady Eve" and "It Happened One Night": movies with brilliant scripts, clever filmed, and with superbly well-timed acting. Trust me--this is not like those two gems. You can be light, but you still need quality.
11
Thank you. What a great movie!!!
1
When I first heard that this movie was about a senior-citizen-intern I was intrigued. That is what I am -- or more correctly -- what I have been trying to be. Being older than any prospective employer has, I think, kept me from getting a single reply in over two years of job hunting. In the hope that someone would like an intern who didn't need a lot of training and who wasn't expecting to climb their corporate ladder I tried applied for intern spots. Like Mr. De Niro I too had been the president of my own company. Unlike Mr. De Niro I have not been hired, or interviewed, even for an intern spot. Had this movie been about a woman in her 60's, desperate for work, and failing to even get an internship spot it would have been very different. Not happy, not funny, but very real.
55
Hollywood making a movie about a woman in her 60s?
Now *that* is funny.
Now *that* is funny.
3
One of the sad things about the film is its depiction of older women. Older-ish Renee Russo passes the "still sexy" test but the women closer to DeNiro's age are shrews and incompetent. If you're an older woman, you do wonder how a woman wrote and directed this. It is actually my least favorite of Nancy Meyers' work and the review mentions a few of the reasons: Hathaway's incoherent character, the lazy writing that means she can't get someone to clean up a single table and is willing to fly to the opposite coast to consider hiring someone she doesn't want (because job candidates no longer get on planes?), yet is somehow an overnight success. We're also supposed to believe that she makes no use of her husband's expertise in marketing - they never have an adult conversation - and as a neat freak, tolerates an assistant who can't keep her on schedule or organize her own desk. This feels like a movie filmed from a draft, maybe a draft written by Meyers' intern?
6
Nancy Meyers is 66, not much younger than De Niro's character, but look how cruel she is to Linda Lavin -- the Jewish lady with an interest in Ben Whitaker. She is presented as undesirable and ugly, and jealous of Renee Russo who is 62 (Russo looks amazing, BTW).
What is sad is that it is literally unthinkable that anyone would make an interesting or sympathetic film about a 60-70 year old woman -- we are just plain "invisible" to Hollywood and advertisers.
What is sad is that it is literally unthinkable that anyone would make an interesting or sympathetic film about a 60-70 year old woman -- we are just plain "invisible" to Hollywood and advertisers.
2
Nancy Meyers makes "feel good" films, but I find I like them for the beautiful sets and the escapism they offer from my very real life, and they deliver the goods. However, the feel good wears off as quickly as eating too much candy, and then I begin thinking that it's a shame that the women - and families - aren't anywhere close to reality - in fact, they're often downright creepy and weird! For example, in a scene from "It's Complicated" the main character's ADULT children all pile into bed together in their PJ's with their arms around their knees like six year olds, and raptly listen to Mom explain her woes. Yeah, that happens - NEVER. I hope she doesn't stoop to those off putting scenarios here because I want to like this film if for nothing more than to watch DeNiro age like fine wine.
7
The centuries old question, "What do women want?" was answered, definitively enough for me, in Chaucer when the Knight, with the help of the old woman, announced that women most desired personal sovereignty. The reviewer, for whatever reason, doesn't seem to have noticed that this movie seems to be asking a much smaller question, if any.
8
Well done. I was sorry not to see medieval lit referenced in the review when the "what do women want" question popped up.
Jeesh! Does anyone even ask what men want . . . besides you-know-what? Men and women all want things. But do we have to have it all be reduced to a gender stereotyp? People of all genders are individuals with individual people desires.
"Ben doesn’t sweep up the damsel like Daniel Day-Lewis in “The Last of the Mohicans,” but he proves more than up to the task."
When does Daniel Day Lewis's Hawkeye character ever "sweep up" Cora, played by Madeline Stowe? One of the most enjoyable elements of that movie is the fact that the two protagonists are more than a match for each other. Stowe's feisty audition for the part of Cora is what won her the role because the director wanted a female lead who was not some shrinking violet always waiting to be rescued. Maybe that's your fantasy, Manohla.
When does Daniel Day Lewis's Hawkeye character ever "sweep up" Cora, played by Madeline Stowe? One of the most enjoyable elements of that movie is the fact that the two protagonists are more than a match for each other. Stowe's feisty audition for the part of Cora is what won her the role because the director wanted a female lead who was not some shrinking violet always waiting to be rescued. Maybe that's your fantasy, Manohla.
19
A successful Hollywood director?? Her last movie was in 2009??
4
I knew I wouldn't see this movie when the trailer showed Hathaway's character complaining about how modern men have declined from the style icons of Harrison Ford and...Jack Nicholson. Ford, sure, but does anyone, anyone at all, think of Nicholson as suave and debonair? Certainly not millennials! This comedy looks like it's soggy with Boomer self-regard.
13
Dear Sarah,
Before you were born there were actors and actresses who starred in movies when they were younger than they are now. If, for instance, you watch the films Five Easy Pieces and Chinatown, you will see why a lot of women found Jack Nicholson very attractive. I know that unlike my generation yours shuns movies from the past, but you actually might learn something from watching them.
Sincerely,
A Baby Boomer
Before you were born there were actors and actresses who starred in movies when they were younger than they are now. If, for instance, you watch the films Five Easy Pieces and Chinatown, you will see why a lot of women found Jack Nicholson very attractive. I know that unlike my generation yours shuns movies from the past, but you actually might learn something from watching them.
Sincerely,
A Baby Boomer
37
Nicholson could be attractive, but he would almost never have been called "suave." (A word best reserved for Cary Grant, if we're looking to film history.)
Sarah's point, if you happen to care about realism (which I personally don't) is that a real woman of Hathaway's age would not choose those two men as examples. I think that's fair.
Sarah's point, if you happen to care about realism (which I personally don't) is that a real woman of Hathaway's age would not choose those two men as examples. I think that's fair.
7
"Fetishize" and "bromantic" and emblematize -- what kind of stilted hip--speak is this? Contrived and forced English does not a stylist make. Nor do a slew of faux-sociological axioms make a film review that actually says anything about the film.
Does movie succeed dramatically? Based on this review, who knows? Is the script any good? Why or why not? Again, who knows. How's the acting? We're told DeNiro "owns the show," but how about the rest of the cast?
is the direction actually skillful? Good question. This review does tell us.
This review is schlocky and opinionated in the wrong sorts of ways, but it doesn't actually help us appreciate or evaluate the movie. Pauline Kael must be writhing in her grave.
Does movie succeed dramatically? Based on this review, who knows? Is the script any good? Why or why not? Again, who knows. How's the acting? We're told DeNiro "owns the show," but how about the rest of the cast?
is the direction actually skillful? Good question. This review does tell us.
This review is schlocky and opinionated in the wrong sorts of ways, but it doesn't actually help us appreciate or evaluate the movie. Pauline Kael must be writhing in her grave.
78
Of course this review is "opinionated" it is written by a critic and critics are payed to give their opinion!
8
Pretty sure professional critics are paid to *criticize*, not just have an opinion. Unlike "having an opinion", criticism requires skilled deployment of knowledge and expertise. I guess something distracted Manohla during the writing of this review ;-)
7
Oh, please. Pauline Kael with absolutely opinionated in the worst ways, too. Sometimes she could be sharp and sometimes she got it all wrong because it didn't match her sensibility. And Dargis did talk about Hathaway, who appears to be the only other cast member with much time. Her verdict, if you read closely: Hathaway couldn't overcome the poorly written role and underdeveloped character.
3
Nancy Meyers (It's Complicated, etc, etc.) and John Madden (Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) are giving older Americans movies that aren't just for kids, and they're using comedy to soften the blow for younger people in their message that, yes, older people have brains and sex lives that don't suddenly stop working at 50. If younger people in the movie look as if they're caught up in silly habits or worries wasted on the trivial that really don't count for much when you look at the whole span of one's life, well, that's intentional.
49
Nancy Meyer's movies remind of what it feels like to eat roasted marshmallows. "The Intern" screams fake, fake, fake to me, so I'm going to have to take a pass.
12
Perhaps lighten up a tad readers? Good point that I wish the movie offered a bit more diversity away from all the white faces, and there is a point where Jules (Hathaway character) probably would & should have slugged her husband - but this is a fun and refreshing movie that does offer perhaps enough depth of character and wisdom for the ride too. Gee, does this mean I am getting old but I saw this movie last night and I really enjoyed it. But yea, even though I did a lot of misbehaving I am from an era when I would have never gone for a job interview I wanted having not shaved for a week. Smile & enjoy the movie - we really did.
42
I agree Jimi. This is an actors movie, plot is secondary, and good acting is a pleasure to watch in itself. Dargis' review is full of personal pov's about Nancy Meyers style and aspects of Hathaway's scripted character that make no sense to her but, guess what, Manohla, firstly, we don't care about your pov on the director and secondly, since when does human behavior, especially that of an one with OCD, make sense? Roger Ebert is spinning in his grave.
In response to PK Todd - when u used the term " creepy character" I was surprised because I would have used it to describe Keanu Reeves character, NOT Jack Nicholson's in "Something's Gotta Give."
The only thing wrong with that move was the title - held no clue whatsoever about the content - I thought it was going to be a silly Doris Day-Rock Huson comedy and waited for it to play on TV - and was I surprised at what an interesting well made film it turned out to be. I don't know if a good title can make a film, but a bad title can certainly hurt.
Two other excellent films that suffered from weak titles: "Almost Famous," and "Ever After" - again, vague, non-descript. Who let that happen? At least with "The Intern" there's no debate what this is about.
The only thing wrong with that move was the title - held no clue whatsoever about the content - I thought it was going to be a silly Doris Day-Rock Huson comedy and waited for it to play on TV - and was I surprised at what an interesting well made film it turned out to be. I don't know if a good title can make a film, but a bad title can certainly hurt.
Two other excellent films that suffered from weak titles: "Almost Famous," and "Ever After" - again, vague, non-descript. Who let that happen? At least with "The Intern" there's no debate what this is about.
1
Meyers also used the titles "Something's Got to Give" and "It's Complicated". Now I know that when I'm looking for something frothy, which I sometimes do, I'll find it under a meaningless generic title. Makes it easier, which may be the point.
Unlike other commenters, I’ve seen this film. Yes, it's frothy & heavy on stylish set design. Yes, it's a romantic comedy (of a celibate kind). Yes, DeNiro plays his role with a relaxed toothy grin. Meanwhile, Anne Hathaway is charming and wonderful, which you would never know from reading this review.
An angle on the film not mentioned is how it is about Old Brooklyn & New Brooklyn. DeNiro represents the manufacturing borough, while Hathaway runs a high-tech company. DeNiro owns a townhome because, no doubt, he bought it decades ago when they were still affordable; Hathaway has hers because, no doubt, she raised oodles of investment capital. The movie is about how the old and the new, the young and the old, need each other. (For those of you who don't like such artificiality, you can cross Lubitsch's masterpiece "Shop Around the Corner" off your viewing list.)
Is it corny? Kind of. Is it as rigorous as a Dardenne brothers movie? No. Is it more enjoyable? Yes. Why don't we criticize a Godard film by noting that it doesn't have action sequences? Sadly, this review wants to make more out of itself than the movie it's reviewing; it is mostly social comment and little genre analysis. Interesting that the reviewer believes she knows how society should be at all times, how women should be appropriately represented, etc. What antenna! Meanwhile, she does a disservice, I think, to Times readers looking for enjoyable Hollywood entertainment, which they will find if they go see this.
An angle on the film not mentioned is how it is about Old Brooklyn & New Brooklyn. DeNiro represents the manufacturing borough, while Hathaway runs a high-tech company. DeNiro owns a townhome because, no doubt, he bought it decades ago when they were still affordable; Hathaway has hers because, no doubt, she raised oodles of investment capital. The movie is about how the old and the new, the young and the old, need each other. (For those of you who don't like such artificiality, you can cross Lubitsch's masterpiece "Shop Around the Corner" off your viewing list.)
Is it corny? Kind of. Is it as rigorous as a Dardenne brothers movie? No. Is it more enjoyable? Yes. Why don't we criticize a Godard film by noting that it doesn't have action sequences? Sadly, this review wants to make more out of itself than the movie it's reviewing; it is mostly social comment and little genre analysis. Interesting that the reviewer believes she knows how society should be at all times, how women should be appropriately represented, etc. What antenna! Meanwhile, she does a disservice, I think, to Times readers looking for enjoyable Hollywood entertainment, which they will find if they go see this.
106
"Sadly, this review wants to make more out of itself than the movie it's reviewing."
Par for the course for Dargis!
Par for the course for Dargis!
2
Very insightful comment. You noticed the Old Brooklyn vs. New Brooklyn contrast. This is a light movie, but the transition from an economy based on manufacturing to one based on computer driven services is a serious theme. It is underplayed, but it is there.
1
Maybe the Times could substitute you for Ms. Dargis!
4
I am wondering why the profoundly talented and versatile Mr. DeNiro, and even Ms. Hathaway, who must have a sizable number of scripts offered to her, would select such a banal project headed by a predictable, tiresome director. Neither of them likely "needs the money", so that's not it.
20
Meyers' films are truly pathetic. The bland leading the bland. Sorry to see DeNiro put himself in the center of her vapid vision.
9
Someone should advise Robert DeNiro he can say "no" when offered a script. Same with Liam Neeson. Remember a few years ago when Jude Law was in almost every movie? He ain't so busy nowadays
3
Manohla Dargis does it again! (makes me want to see a mediocre movie just so I can better appreciate the nuances of her review)
5
In place of fluff, imagine the timely social commentary and sarcasm (tech, hipsters, boogie idiots, first-world problems) we could have had if the Di Niro role had been ACTUALLY cast as "The King of Comedy" Rupert Pupkin, 30+ years after kidnapping Jerry Langford (Jerry Lewis playing a Johnny Carson-esque host). Now that is craziness I would run to see!
4
probably no worse than most movies. but reviwers HATED "It's Complicated " and i LOVED it. C Nancy Meyers is curve grade to A.
15
That was an awful movie that no one should suffer through willingly.
5
It's Complicated got a 57 (out of 100 rating) on Metacritic and a 57% fresh (recommended) on Rotten Tomatoes. These are average to good scores. There's no justification to say critics hated it.
1
I loved It's Complicated, too. Great cast and the friendship among older women is something you don't get to see in movies these days. Go, Nancy!
1
Does the Times give out fruit baskets to writers whose cute writing in print this morning becomes cute memes in Village bars tonight?
"Bromantic schlumps"? "Tee-hee-hee gaggery"? It's sort of fun seeing this in movie reviews. I'll like it less when Gail Collins calls the whole GOP slate "bromantic schlumps" next week.
"Bromantic schlumps"? "Tee-hee-hee gaggery"? It's sort of fun seeing this in movie reviews. I'll like it less when Gail Collins calls the whole GOP slate "bromantic schlumps" next week.
9
I think you're over-thinking this movie.
28
Truly. It's a Nancy Meyers movie, not a Truffaut film. Something to pleasantly pass the time on an airplane.
12
On a short flight, perhaps.
3
I haven't seen this movie yet either, but I would be happy to see an older person who isn't portrayed as a "dirty old man/woman or a doddering idiot. What is more unbelievable is that a company of this ilk would even consider hiring a man of his age, even for an internship. In the real world experience counts for little in the workplace.
I have great respect for Mr. De Niro's acting ability, and I look forward to being entertained by a light "frothy" movie. There are plenty of options available for the gritty side of life, if that is your choice.
I have great respect for Mr. De Niro's acting ability, and I look forward to being entertained by a light "frothy" movie. There are plenty of options available for the gritty side of life, if that is your choice.
75
Why aren't more reacting to the unlikelyhood of DeNiro's character being hired as an intern. In NYC? Brooklyn no less?? Come on.
But - I'll accept the fantasy when it comes to cable.
But - I'll accept the fantasy when it comes to cable.
1
That women are conflicted is not new. I am more interested in the “crisis of masculinity” that surrounds the said “fast-walking, speed-talking collection of gender grievances.” Instead of being critical of the female character in her multiple roles, perhaps we should be looking at the men in their inadequacies.
10
Well, it sounds grindingly bad. Possibly some generally unhappy, over 30 women will find comfort in it, but, damn, it sounds like a torturous two hours to me. Next, please.
18
Oh, no, not over-30 women! Why do we even allow them to continue existing, again?
33
"A successful Hollywood director like Ms. Meyers, for starters, would never have gotten this far and with a number of hits to her name if she had been afraid of telling other people what to do."
A close friend worked on this film and believe me, from the stories I've heard, she has no fear of telling people what to do, and not always in the nicest way either. So that colors my feelings towards this film, rightly or wrongly.
However, I've also never really liked her movies. Her world is too white, too rich, too perfect, and too unreal ultimately, for me. I like my movies with a bit of edge and grittiness, even if they are "fluffier".
A close friend worked on this film and believe me, from the stories I've heard, she has no fear of telling people what to do, and not always in the nicest way either. So that colors my feelings towards this film, rightly or wrongly.
However, I've also never really liked her movies. Her world is too white, too rich, too perfect, and too unreal ultimately, for me. I like my movies with a bit of edge and grittiness, even if they are "fluffier".
42
I pay to go to the movies to escape reality, not to see more grit than I can handle in the real world. It's better than drugs.
14
I enjoy Meyers' films strictly as real estate porn. In all other respects, they're far-fetched and impossible to warm up to. For example, I found it unbelievable and repulsive when Diane Keaton's beautiful, successful playwright fell in love with that creepy character played Jack Nicholson. Especially when she had the much more attractive doctor played by Keanu Reeves available as an alternative. There's always something slightly "off" in Meyers movies, but the set decoration is worth the price of admission.
38
I think Diane Keaton would have won a best actress Oscar for Something's Got to Give had not the last half of the movie become so contrived, drippy and flat. She was great in it and did her best with the sometimes bad material.
4
Lighten up people. It's one fictional story in one light bon bon of a movie. Enjoy it for what it is and leave the commentary on the societal implications for a serious, dark documentary. Popcorn anyone?
61
You must be new here.
58
Thanks, MC for reminding me what ya'll are like there in the City of Hate.
Totalized societies run everything through the ideological mill - even the past has to bend to the only allowed anschauung. In our current dystopia, the finest flour is produced by identity politics and grievance feminism. Manohla has never set foot outside of Greenwich Village, so her world view is suitably cramped for grinding out this kind of cultural marxist criticism.
You can learn how to do this stuff in about 5 minutes: Explanation of the theory of relativity? - Einstein's patriarchal leanings!
Totalized societies run everything through the ideological mill - even the past has to bend to the only allowed anschauung. In our current dystopia, the finest flour is produced by identity politics and grievance feminism. Manohla has never set foot outside of Greenwich Village, so her world view is suitably cramped for grinding out this kind of cultural marxist criticism.
You can learn how to do this stuff in about 5 minutes: Explanation of the theory of relativity? - Einstein's patriarchal leanings!
3
What's a "totalized" society?
9
Terrific, thoughtful review -
Robert De Niro's character as the "benign face of patriarchy"! Yes!
Why, oh why, is THIS the kind of story a powerful, successful woman like Nancy Meyers puts on the screen in 2015????
Robert De Niro's character as the "benign face of patriarchy"! Yes!
Why, oh why, is THIS the kind of story a powerful, successful woman like Nancy Meyers puts on the screen in 2015????
44
Because men are still in charge.
26
Impossible to know for sure, but a) people as privileged as Nancy Meyers have no connection to reality, feminist or otherwise, and the main preoccupation of "filmmakers" these days isn't "material", it's raising money, which is felt in every frame of their movies, and b) the studio wouldn't finance a subversive piece of filmmaking, feminist or otherwise. Even this tripe takes years of "development".
Besides, the people who go into the movie business in the U.S. aren't visionaries -- or they no longer are. There are just too many practical difficulties, a real "artist" would have no time for it.
Besides, the people who go into the movie business in the U.S. aren't visionaries -- or they no longer are. There are just too many practical difficulties, a real "artist" would have no time for it.
4
And based upon this sort of tripe we will be for a very long time.
3
Thank you again Ms. Dargis for your excellent writing. And yes, you are right again. Although I haven't seen it and I want desperately to see it, I can tell from the trailer that this is about the inevitable heritage of patriarchy in women's psyche. But I hope this movie will serve as well to communicate the message that experience is still of great value.
20
"inevitable heritage of patriarchy in women's psyche."how do you spell pretentious claptrap? in my ( female) most significant job , in mid management for a wildly successful entertainment co div of fortune 500 company, i worked the entire 20 years for a brilliant and compassionate WOMAN. were there occasional issues? you bet. but she was VP and i was not. best years of my life. the name Ostin is significant to me because Mo Ostin is hands down best entertainment company CEO in history of the world and a great man. without an ounce of patriarchy.
11