Contains spoilers.
"Intern" is set in the slick world of a glossy, high fashion magazine, "Skirt." Jocelyn Bennett is an unappreciated intern (Are there any other kind?) but hers is a Cinderella story. The Prince Charming is Paul Rochester, a photographer at the magazine, complete with English accent, a member of royalty, related to Prince Charles; all of these latter connections he keeps to himself. Oh, yes; Paul is probably the only heterosexual male at "Skirt" magazine. The plot keeps Jocelyn and Paul apart until the happy ending. Supermodel and bimbo Resin is the impediment to Jocelyn and Paul's love for most of the film. But, of course Resin doesn't really love Paul. She's learned of his royal connections and his title and wealth and only wants him for those things. Hiss.
The subplot here is lots of fun, too: there is a spy (referred to as Uri) at "Skirt" magazine who constantly sends "Skirt"'s ideas for articles, trends, photos, etc. to rival "Vogue," which then scoops "Skirt." Of course, it is Jocelyn who discovers the spy, and is rewarded by being given a full-time paid position on "Skirt."
All of this is set against the high fashion world, which is satirized in fine form. The film is loaded with gay guys, all of whom are queens amply supplied with bitchy repartee. One such queen befriends Jocelyn and helps her to win Paul--nice-- but an all-too-typical role for a gay man. Nonetheless, I didn't come to this film expecting heightened consciousness about gay life.
The film has plenty of important designers in it to lend an air of authenticity to the proceedings. I enjoyed seeing Kenneth Cole, Tommy Helfiger, and Diane von Furstenberg among many others. In another cameo, Gwyneth Paltrow is shown at lunch with a designer and some friends. Paltrow is photographed more attractively here than in any other film I've see her in.
Dominique Swain, who played Lolita opposite Jeremy Irons, plays Jocelyn here. She's a completely winning actress who drew me right in to the film. And Benjamin Pullen played Paul Rochester. I last saw him as Tommy Trafford in 1999's "An Ideal Husband." Joan Rivers plays Dolly Bellows, a senior editor at "Skirt," and she's completely over the top here, but that's exactly correct for her role.
Now---why isn't this film being aggressively marketed to a gay audience in major cities like San Francisco, West Hollywood, and so on? It certainly should be.
And the advertising campaign should identify Dominique Swain as Jeremy Irons' Lolita, but above all, the ads should feature the names of all the designers in cameo roles.
Some reviews indicated this was a cheaply made indie film. It doesn't look it. But there were a few problems with sound at the beginning of the film, and these should be fixed before the film is given a wider release.
I left the theatre smiling and feeling good after having seen this movie. About how many films can one make that comment today? Don't miss it!
"Intern" is set in the slick world of a glossy, high fashion magazine, "Skirt." Jocelyn Bennett is an unappreciated intern (Are there any other kind?) but hers is a Cinderella story. The Prince Charming is Paul Rochester, a photographer at the magazine, complete with English accent, a member of royalty, related to Prince Charles; all of these latter connections he keeps to himself. Oh, yes; Paul is probably the only heterosexual male at "Skirt" magazine. The plot keeps Jocelyn and Paul apart until the happy ending. Supermodel and bimbo Resin is the impediment to Jocelyn and Paul's love for most of the film. But, of course Resin doesn't really love Paul. She's learned of his royal connections and his title and wealth and only wants him for those things. Hiss.
The subplot here is lots of fun, too: there is a spy (referred to as Uri) at "Skirt" magazine who constantly sends "Skirt"'s ideas for articles, trends, photos, etc. to rival "Vogue," which then scoops "Skirt." Of course, it is Jocelyn who discovers the spy, and is rewarded by being given a full-time paid position on "Skirt."
All of this is set against the high fashion world, which is satirized in fine form. The film is loaded with gay guys, all of whom are queens amply supplied with bitchy repartee. One such queen befriends Jocelyn and helps her to win Paul--nice-- but an all-too-typical role for a gay man. Nonetheless, I didn't come to this film expecting heightened consciousness about gay life.
The film has plenty of important designers in it to lend an air of authenticity to the proceedings. I enjoyed seeing Kenneth Cole, Tommy Helfiger, and Diane von Furstenberg among many others. In another cameo, Gwyneth Paltrow is shown at lunch with a designer and some friends. Paltrow is photographed more attractively here than in any other film I've see her in.
Dominique Swain, who played Lolita opposite Jeremy Irons, plays Jocelyn here. She's a completely winning actress who drew me right in to the film. And Benjamin Pullen played Paul Rochester. I last saw him as Tommy Trafford in 1999's "An Ideal Husband." Joan Rivers plays Dolly Bellows, a senior editor at "Skirt," and she's completely over the top here, but that's exactly correct for her role.
Now---why isn't this film being aggressively marketed to a gay audience in major cities like San Francisco, West Hollywood, and so on? It certainly should be.
And the advertising campaign should identify Dominique Swain as Jeremy Irons' Lolita, but above all, the ads should feature the names of all the designers in cameo roles.
Some reviews indicated this was a cheaply made indie film. It doesn't look it. But there were a few problems with sound at the beginning of the film, and these should be fixed before the film is given a wider release.
I left the theatre smiling and feeling good after having seen this movie. About how many films can one make that comment today? Don't miss it!