The Intern (2015) film review

Year: 2015
Running Time: 121 minutes
Director: Nancy Meyers
Writer: Nancy Meyers
Cast: Robert De Niro, Anne Hathaway, Rene Russo, Adam DeVine, Anders Holm, Zack Pearlman

The Intern is now showing in cinemas everywhere and is distributed in Australia by Roadshow Films.

Nancy Meyers' The Intern attempts to put on celluloid a snapshot of the changing face of the workplace in the 2010's in an endearing and comical fashion which is perhaps a little too light handed.

The film seeks to destroy the harsh and outdated belief that career driven women equal hardhearted individuals who are icy mothers, as well as demonstrate that older members of the work force can view retirement as a choice. With these good intentions as the backbone of the film, it is a shame to see a screenplay built around it that is rather ill-balanced and weak despite it's witty, amusing dialogue. The Intern is indeed an incredibly light watch even though it deals with complex emotions and situations, which is refreshing but at the same time frustrating to see particular issues taken so lightly.

The Intern has dual protagonists, but unlike most screenplays with such, it does not attempt to focus on the two characters simultaneously. Retiree Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro) finds his new lifestyle not being in the workforce isn't as enjoyable as he thought it would be. He answers an ad for and earns a position as a Senior Intern position at About The Fit, a highly successful online clothes business run by Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway). Ben is assigned to Jules to be her personal intern, a decision that does not sit well with Jules to begin with as she is very much accustomed to and satisfied with running the business and working by herself. Little by little, she opens up to Ben as she discovers what she needs more than anything else is a friend she can share her inner most thoughts and her concerns about work and life with.

As previously stated, The Intern is a look at the changing work place and specifically how people are working for longer and women can be loving wives and mothers at the same time as hard working career women. It is through the two main characters that these two ideas are expressed and they take place one after the other rather than at the same time in the screenplay, which can feel as though the film has changed direction halfway through. The Intern is almost primarily a character study of Ben in the first half of the film as it explores his personality and lifestyle as both a retiree and widower. He represents the notion that many older members of the work force do not stay in a job purely for financial reasons, but because they find that the retired life is not what they expected it to be and this is especially prevalent in those who have lost a loved one or are single. Many people do not feel fulfilled by the retired life and even feel a loss of purpose when they are without a job, such is the case of the Ben. He accepts that he is not at the top of the food chain anymore in the world, but is comfortable working for people younger than him rather than be out of the work force and bored in life.

There is then the more evident example of Jules as the hard working young woman who has both a young daughter and husband at home, who has given up his career so that Jules can flourish in hers. What Nancy Meyers is doing here is seeking to shatter the common perception that working mothers lose focus of their families and are unapproachable to friends and family. Jules is quite a likable character who's sole focus is really her family and everything she does in her business is for her family. Yet, Meyers makes sure that while she is trying to change this perception of working mothers, she also makes it clear that in society it is still not 100% accepted nor is it an easy perception to be rid of for both outsiders and those affected directly.

With the film starting off being more about Ben and then ending being more about Jules, the screenplay feels rather uneven. The script also suffers by having a lack of strength in the conflict, particularly towards the end. The film spends so much time looking at the characters and what they represent that the conflict and resolution lose impact and are addressed far too close to the end to get a clear and comfortable idea of what is going to happen to these characters. However, it is admirable that The Intern does manage to represent something that is so embedded in our current workplace culture and make it enjoyable and entertaining. The screenplay may not be perfect, but the film is rather a fun and particularly easy to watch. There are some very funny scenes and the dialogue is very well written, intriguing and witty.

The casting of Robert De Niro as Ben and Anne Hathaway as Jules is another reason as to why The Intern makes for an enjoyable viewing experience. De Niro's Ben Whittaker is incredibly likable and empathetic. He is the man everyone would want as their friend and everyone feels for him after what he has been through. Hathaway's Jules is also extremely relatable and even more so as the film progresses. One comes to know her much better as the film goes on, and as it does her performance becomes more emotional and convincing. De Niro and Hathaway work very well on screen together and their chemistry is believable and enviable.

The Intern has every good intention, but is let down by it's somewhat messy screenplay. Yet, it is completely watchable and still enjoyable thanks to it's moments of hilarity and crisp, likable performances.

6.5/10

Last Vegas (2013)

 

Year: 2013
Running Time: 105 minutes
Director: Jon Turteltaub
Writers: Don Fogelman
Cast: Michael Douglas, Robert De Niro, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Kline, Mary Steenburgen, Jerry Ferrera

Now showing and distributed in Australia by Universal Pictures.

Las Vegas has changed in the last half a decade, there is no doubt about that. Movies about Las Vegas have obviously changed with the times and your typical film set in Las Vegas will more than likely feature male characters in the age bracket of 21-35 years old.

That is where Last Vegas breaks through the mould. It is a Las Vegas film that doesn't fall into the stereotypical pool, but is a stereotypical film about four middle aged men trying to find their youth again. Yet it loses it loses it's stereotypical status once these four enter Sin City. What results is a film which may be predictable, but is still enjoyable and often very funny. The combination of Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, Robert De Niro and Kevin Kline is an absolute winner by all accounts.

When Billy (Michael Douglas) proposes to his girlfriend while giving a eulogy at a funeral, he rounds up his life long best friends, Archie (Morgan Freeman) and Sam (Kevin Kline) for a bachelor party in Vegas before he ties the knot with his much younger girlfriend there. Archie and Sam also invite along Paddy (Robert De Niro), who was also once best friends with Billy but had a major fall out with him over him missing out on Paddy's wife's funeral. When the four arrive in Las Vegas, they find it a very different town to the one they visited years before and the town will make all of them realise the things they need to admit to themselves.

Last Vegas really gives you no surprises. The middle-aged light comedy genre is proving to be a very predictable genre these days with it's characters always having some kind of epiphany directly related to the stage of life which they are at. There is really nothing wrong with this as it is what a lot of people want to see and what the target audience can relate to. You just know what you are walking into and you know how it will end up. However, once you take this film we have seen before and make it into a Vegas film, it feels like a film we haven't seen before. The location of Vegas seen through the eyes of these men actually makes the city look fresh and therefore makes the film feel far more original than it would be otherwise.

Even if though Last Vegas may not be the most innovative screenplay, it does absolutely carry some very funny highlights. The scene in the club where Freeman's Archie has his first Red Bull is very funny. The best thing about the screenplay is that it doesn't try too hard to be funny. It is true that it is predictable and simplistic, but it is this simplicity that works for the film. It does have it's tender moments, particularly when it comes to Paddy discussing his late wife, yet it is not overly emotional. It doesn't need to be as you feel an instant connection with each of the characters due to some marvellous character development. You have a bucket full of information about the characters backgrounds so you have an emotional connection with each of them. It's not an extremely in depth connection, but a connection nevertheless.

Each of leading men are great fun in their roles. Michael Douglas does well, but it doesn't seem like a particularly complicated role for him and seems like it is just a matter of Michael Douglas playing Michael Douglas. Robert De Niro probably has the most challenging role as his Paddy is both cynical and standoffish at times, but he also earns the audience's sympathy without any trouble with his soft and tender side. Morgan Freeman and Kevin Kline are the two that provide most of the comedy relief through the film. Kline is especially funny as he plays the comfortably out of vogue man and his performance is just a lot of fun.

Last Vegas may not be the most original piece of work we will be seeing on our screens, but it is still creative in it's own way and a bit of fun.

7/10

Silver Linings Playbook

 

Year: 2012

Director: David O. Russell

Cast: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver

Before I begin my review…
 

Silver Linings Playbook is the first movie in 31 years to have nominations in all four acting categories and for Best Film and Best Director.

That is pretty damn impressive. The last film to do this was Reds back in 1982. Come the night, Reds took out Best Actress In A Supporting Role for Maureen Stapleton and Best Director for Warren Beatty.

So what has Silver Linings Playbook got a good shot at?

One would think they surely have to win at least one considering they have nominations in all the major categories. Not necessarily, but it is definitely in contention.

So let’s start with Silver Linings Playbooks’ odds for Best Picture. Very good movie, but it will be a surprise winner if it takes home the big one. At the Toronto International Film Festival it took out the top Audience Award so that is saying something for it, but it does have very stiff competition at the Academy Awards later this month.

David O. Russell for director….he has a very unique method of direction with the improvisational style of directing his actors and his methods of editing. There is no doubt about it, Russell brings out the best in his actors. He directed both Christian Bale and Melissa Leo to their first Oscars for The Fighter and you don’t direct all four of your lead actors to nominations if you are not exceptionally talented. He does have a good chance at taking home his prize this year.

Silver Linings Playbook is without a doubt Bradley Cooper’s best role to date. His nomination is very much deserved, but a win seems a bit out of reach with the front-runner being Daniel Day Lewis and followed closely by Hugh Jackman, who won the Golden Globe over Cooper.

The same can be said for Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver. Both fantastic performances and well deserved nominations, but both have a lot of competition.

It is Jennifer Lawrence who is the greatest Oscar chance for Silver Linings Playbook. Is there anything this girl can’t do? It is her second Oscar nomination at age 22 and the world is her oyster. Her biggest competition is Jessica Chastain. However since winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Musical/ Comedy and also Best Actress at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, all eyes are in Lawrence. Considering the SAG’s and the Oscars are voted by acting peers, it would seem as though this is her year. Question is, is she deserving of her first Best Performance by an Actress In a Leading Role Academy Award?

Yes, she is.

Review

David O. Russell proves once again with Silver Linings Playbook that he is able to bring out the best in each one of his actors and the sum of these performances lead to a wonderful, raw and heartfelt film.

While Silver Linings Playbook is being categorised as a romantic comedy, it is definitely not your typical rom-com. The heartbreaking and intense issues dealt with are never too far removed from the reality of the everyday person, but are ones that are not usually brought to your attention in a film like this. The characters have so many layers to them that are exposed in the film and are bought to life with some incredible performances.

Troubled Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper) returns home to live with his parents (Robert De Niro and Jacki Weaver) after spending time in an institution for his bi-polar disorder. He is determined to improve himself by being more positive and believes that he will be able to win back his wife, Nikki (Brea Bee) when she sees how much he has changed.  He then meets Tiffany (Jennifer Lawrence), an eccentric young widow and he believes she may be able to help him win back Nikki. However, both Pat and Tiffany are able to help each other out and change each other’s lives in ways they never imagined.

The best thing about Silver Linings Playbook is that it shows that a film doesn’t need to have amazing images, special effects or be somewhat of an extravaganza in order for it to be amazing. Silver Linings Playbook relies on its story, the emotions it evokes and characters that are portrayed in order to be a film that connects with people, and that it does.

At times, the film is almost uncomfortable to watch as bi-polar and other depression and anxiety related disorders are not uncommon by any means. What Pat and his family go through as a result of his disorder and also the mood swings of both him and Tiffany are very realistic. These scenes will hit close to home for anyone who has experienced anything like this before. It’s not an easy watch at times for this reason, but as the title suggests, the story plays out to show silver linings and you don’t leave the cinema feeling like you’ve been hit by an emotional steam train.

The story is great as it is original, but still slightly predictable. There are some funny moments, but some of the laughs are more like nervous laughter than laughter as a result of comedic value. It’s one of those things were you watch and it seems like it is funny, but you know that if it was happening to you, it probably wouldn’t be that funny.

It is the performances by the actors that make this film what it is. Bradley Cooper is brilliant in his role as Pat. He is completely believable in everything he does on screen and really gets the audiences sympathy. It is the best performance of his career thus far.

Jennifer Lawrence gives an absolute powerhouse of a performance. To begin with, taking the knowledge into the film that Lawrence is only 22 in real life, it does seem a little far-fetched to you that she is a widow and was married for three years. Yet, Lawrence has proved that she can act beyond her years and she is very believable in the part. When her character is angry, she is actually quite scary and it looks like there is a fire behind her eyes that would shoot down anyone who dare challenge her.

Robert De Niro gives his best performance in years as Pat Sr. His character is slightly eccentric, but not as much as his son. It is such an interesting performance as his character has so many layers and De Niro is able to show all these layers in his portrayal.

Jacki Weaver is also wonderful. She is beautiful on screen as Pat’s mother and as a devoted wife, who is trying to keep it together for the sake of her family. Her and De Niro work brilliantly together on screen. That being said, the family dynamics between Weaver, De Niro and Cooper are both evident and deeply heartfelt.

All the characters have so much depth, but they are all changing gradually throughout the film. It is the best example of character development and progression in a film definitely in the past year and maybe even longer.

Silver Linings Playbook is a beautiful film about those “crazy” people who are perhaps not so crazy, but just feel a bit more and see things that others don’t.

9/10

New Year's Eve (2011)

New Year’s Eve

Year: 2011

Director: Garry Marshall

Cast: Hilary Swank, Sarah Jessica Parker, Katherine Heigl, Ashton Kutcher, Lea Michelle, Michelle Pfeiffer, Zac Efron, Robert De Niro, Halle Berry, Josh Duhamel, Jessica Biel, Abigail Breslin, Jon Bon Jovi

Before I begin my review….

Wow, after I had written down the cast for New Year’s Eve, I thought to myself how impressive that list of actors really is.

There are a few Academy Award winners or nominees in that list, but those who aren’t…it is a who’s who of chick flicks really.  Sarah Jessica Parker is once again enjoying her time in New York City, Katherine Heigl plays the same film role she always does, Lea Michelle is belting out a tune and Zac Efron busts a move on the dance floor. Besides the winners/nominees circle where Hilary Swank, Robert De Niro, Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin belong, everyone is happy playing who they normally do.

My favourite thing about the movie? The bloopers reel. In my opinion, every comedy film should have a bloopers reel at the end. They just keep the laughs going right until the credits role. Honestly, some blooper reels are even funnier than the movies themselves. For the record if I was in a movie, my blooper reel would be like that of Halle Berry’s.

Review

What did British film Love, Actually start?

Garry Marshall has continued his 2010 film Valentine’s Day with this year’s New Year’s Eve. What is this film designed to do? Not much else than the collaboration of some big names for box office draw and create some sort of feeling of optimism. Other than that, it is a completely faulted film with more wrong with it than right.

New Year’s Eve follows the much used film technique of a number of stories being told over a particular time period with characters who’s lives all link in with each other. It is New Years Eve in New York City and everyone is trying to get through the night of nights in their own way. The night doesn’t end up the way any of the characters expect and there are tears, smiles, laughter and, of course, that elusive midnight kiss.

The best thing about New Year’s Eve is it does have a party atmosphere which makes everyone in the audience ready for the party season. However, the ball has to drop for this to be felt.

The first half of the film is incredibly boring and slow which will only prompt you to check your watch.  No suspense is felt and none of the subplots are really that interesting.  It is more of the same old, same old chick flick stories you see rolled into one with no time for any real emotion and any connection as the film darts from one story to the next. 

The script is very lack lustre and relies on the sparkly glitter and confetti to make the film fun and enjoyable.

For a comedy, there isn’t very many actually funny moments. The moments in the film which are supposed to be funny are more just very forced and the jokes are really quite old. The blooper reel at the end of the film is funnier than the majority of the film.

None of the characters have absolutely any depth to them and people will walk away asking questions about the background of them, as there are definitely questions there to be asked. For example, how is Sarah Jessica Parker’s character of Kim Zac Efron’s Paul’s sister? There is at least an age difference of 20 years there. Some explanation of the family dynamics there would have been nice.

Hilary Swank, who plays the vice president of New Year’s Eve proceedings in Times Square Claire Morgan, starts off shaky and a bit rubbishy, grows into her role towards the end, helped by Robert De Niro who plays her father. Halle Berry is also quite good as Nurse Aimee, although her role is really very brief. It’s also good to see Abigail Breslin growing into a woman and still holding onto her acting talents.

Michelle Pfeiffer’s Ingrid is so pathetic at times that she is just irritating and Efron is also completely irritating at times. Lea Michelle’s Elise seems like a whole lot of nothing besides a singing voice and her and Ashton Kutcher have absolutely no screen chemistry.

Katherine Heigl is once again, just Katherine Heigl.

New Year’s Eve is, if nothing else, relevant for this time of the year. Completely unmemorable and trying a bit too hard to be everything it’s un named predecessors were.

3.5/10

Limitless

Limitless
Year: 2011
Director: Neil Burger
Cast: Bradley Cooper, Abbie Cornish, Robert De Niro, Anna Freil

In My Own Words
Abbie Cornish is one of those actresses who I personally believe will be an Academy Award winner in the future. And I am not just saying that because she's Australian and I am Australian. Nor am I saying that based primarily on her latest role in "Limitless". Cornish won the AFI (the Australian equivalent of an Oscar) in 2004 for her breakthrough film role as Heidi in "Somersault", and she has recieved 4 AFI nominations. The roles she has undertaken are the calibre of those which are nominated for awards, but Cornish isn't afraid to lend herself to roles such as this one in "Limitless" or in the highly anticipated "Sucker Punch" which is released next month. Personally, I believe she was hard done by not recieving a Golden Globe or Oscar nomination for her role as Fanny Brawne in "Bright Star". She was just stunning in it and gave a heart breaking performance. However, it is a very competitive world out there, which goes without saying!

When you watch as many movies as what I do, you tend to take a bit more of an interest in the opening credits at the beginning of a film and then you tend to start remembering people's names who don't usually get as much recognition by the general public as actors or directors. One such name which I noticed coming up over and over again was the producer Ryan Kavanaugh. A executive producer is the figure who is involved in the overall production of the film and handles the business deals. The main reason why I first noticed Ryan Kavanaugh's name is really because my mother's maiden name is Kavanaugh, but then it kept turning up and I thought "Wow, this guy must be really successful and know what he is doing". So what does one do when you wonder about something? Get on the Google! Well, I felt like I should have known who Kavanaugh was before now. He is an entreprenaur of Hollywood, the owner of Relativity Media who has had an incredible rise. He hasn't been in the movie industry for very long, but his list of credits include" Nine", "Brothers", "Robin Hood"," The Fighter" and now "Limitless". Kavanaugh definately knows what he is doing and I would love to know his secret...as I am sure many people do! He is a powerhouse in the business world of Hollywood.

These are my own words and here is my review.

Review
The onslaught of Hollywood action films continues. "Limitless" may look like just another action thriller on the surface, but it does have something that not many other films of this genre have. Originality. It's unusual these days to see an action film with a storyline which doesn't feel like deja vu. "Limitless" is fresh and entertaining. Based on the novel "The Dark Fields" by Alan Glynn, "Limitless" is a different look at the danger of substance addiction. Eddie Morra (Bradley Cooper) starts off the film as one might descibe as being a loser. He is a writer who has a book deal, but has not written a word and is therefore not earning a dollar. By chance, he bumps into his ex-brother in law, Vernon (Johnny Whitworth) who assures him that a pill which he gives him will fix all his problems. After Eddie takes this pill, he is able to absorb information quicker and his brain works at a higher level than the everyday person. Eddie quickly becomes addicted to this drug known as MDT and although the quality of his world increases dramatically, the danger and fight to stay alive begins.

What is so refreshing about "Limitless" is that it isn't a thriller based on the run from the guys who are after you (although parts of the film do lean towards that) or finding out who are the killers. It is a thriller about a fight against addiction, which is something that many people will be able to relate to. It is almost as if the film serves as a wake up call for some and contains some very real situations that individuals addicted to a substance may encounter such as not being able to pay people back for their addictions and facing financial difficulties with another party, and also the effect it has on your physical and mental health. Not to mention the effect it has on the relationships with those around you. The script is very clever, as one might imagine in a film where the lead characters intelligence increases and he obviously pretty smart things to say. However, the film itself is not as suspenseful at times as it is supposed to be. The reason for this is that it quickens pace and then slows down, and this happens several times throughout the film. There is suspense, and then there is a period in which it's intensity is lowered dramatically. This happens various times throughout the film and this is why the suspense is not consistently maintained, which is actually quite frustrating. The ending is also very anticlimatic and should have finished at least 10 minutes earlier. Yet, this does not destroy the film as it is still entertaining whether it is slow or suspenseful.

It is easy to see how Neil Burger would have had fun directing this film and the overall visual surface of the film is quite impressive. There are some great film sequences and visual effects used which are quite attractive and impressive to watch. Although some of the effects may make you suffer from motion sickness. "Limitless" is actually a good showcase of types of visual effects, cinematography and editing which are used in Hollywood action films today. New York City is definately put on show through the filming of this film as well and features heavily in the cinematography, along with the visual representation of Eddie's mind.

Bradley Cooper carries the film well. The best part of the film for him is the beginning where Eddie is rough and ragged and when he experiences his downfall in health and luck. He is so great in this part because it is completely different to the characters which he normally portrays in films. Sure he looks completely different, but you really feel sorry for him in the way which he carries himself and the sorriness in his eyes. Once he becomes the successful Eddie, it is much like any other Bradley Cooper role. Bradley Cooper does Bradley Cooper roles well so you can't really fault the performance. Abbie Cornish is charming as his girlfriend, Lindy and this is actually quite a different role for her. Her and Cooper do also have a great on screen chemistry, which really helps support the film. It is good to see Robert De Niro back on the big screen and he does wuite well in this role, as one would expect from him. He plays Eddie's business partner/boss, Carl Van Loon and he does definately come across as a character who you would love to have on your side, but would hate to have against you throughout the film. 

"Limitless" is one of the better action thrillers released this year. Neil Burger should be applauded for taking on a film which required a lot of originality and creativity to make it work on the screen and pulling it off. It is not often a book which has a story to it that one would normally think should be left as a book as it wouldn't work on screen, does really tell the story and tell it effectively. That really is something to be proud of and is the sign of a great director.
7.5/10