The Intern (I) (2015) User Reviews

Sweet, sensitive, thoughtful movie - so much better than I expected

[grantss · 7/10 · 19 August 2016]

A retired 70-year-old widower, Ben (played by Robert De Niro), is bored with retired life. He applies to a be a senior intern at an online fashion retailer and gets the position. The founder of the company is Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway), a tireless, driven, demanding, dynamic workaholic. Ben is made her intern, but this is a nominal role - she doesn't intend to give him work and it is just window dressing. However, Ben proves to be quite useful and, more than that, a source of support and wisdom.

Good, and surprisingly so. I was expecting a farcical half-baked comedy about how an old guy rejoins the work force and struggles with modern gadgets and work processes. There are a few examples of that but the movie is far more than a story about generational differences. It's more a drama than a comedy, and is a good one too. There's themes of generational wisdom, not judging people by their age (or anything superficial) and making the most of people's talents. It's also a movie about starting over, and doing what you enjoy.

Moreover, it's simply a nice story.

Solid work by Robert De Niro in the lead role. He doesn't do bad performances, but that hasn't stopped him in the past from taking on roles and movies that are well below his standards. This is not one of those roles or movies. Sensitively played, and ideal for the role.

Good work too by Anne Hathaway, who is very convincing as the go- getting entrepreneur.

Surprisingly Intern-resting!

[wembleyfm · 7/10 · 18 December 2015]

Without knowing too much about the plot, I assumed this was taking De Niro down a familiar trodden path of another "Fokker" type role. How wrong I was! This is a very endearing, gentle and easily watchable escapade that sees an ageing De Niro being given an internship with an e-commerce fashion company and becoming surprisingly useful at bestowing his considerable knowledge to his new colleagues. I can't remember ever seeing De Niro play such a likable role without seemingly any flaws to his character. Hathaway charms her way through the film and there's a nice cameo from Russo as a love interest. A film that doesn't try too hard to be funny and comes across better for it.

Great concept!

[MaryM14 · 8/10 · 10 January 2020]

It's amazing how well this film captured the essence of being a millennial brand. The craziness, and hectic behind- the-scenes life of the online startups that we see pop in our Instagram feed daily. I actually love Anne Hathaway in this business woman roll. Also the movie will make you like Robert De Niro, as he plays a kind gentlemanly retiree. I never get to see De Niro in this type of roll (due to me usually not liking any movie he's in) but he's so admirable in this movie and I couldn't imagine anyone playing it better. I love how the movie shows some of the struggles and prejudice a female founder/CEO can face without portraying Anne's character as whiny or completely incapable of running her own company.

"You're never wrong for doing the right thing."

De Niro and Hathaway's chemistry is a sheer delight, but Nancy Meyers' distracted screenplay in the second hour undercuts an otherwise genuinely entertaining start

[moviexclusive · 6/10 · 21 September 2015]

As far as on screen pairings go, 'The Intern' boasts probably one of the most interesting ones in recent memory. On one hand is Robert De Niro's 70-year-old Ben Whittaker, presently struggling to deal with the concept of retirement; on the other is Anne Hathaway's 32-year-old Jules Ostin, the founder and CEO of a tremendously successful fashion-based e-commerce company called 'About the Fit' or 'ATF' for short' who is presently struggling to deal with the demands of her investors while not neglecting her six-year-old daughter and stay- home husband. Diametrically opposite as they may be, writer/ director Nancy Meyers wants to prove that these two individuals can have much more to learn from each other than you and I can imagine.

So through a community outreach programme which one of her company's executives hatched, Ben finds his away into ATF as a senior intern after impressing some of the much younger employees with his warm sense of humour, his cheery can-do demeanour and proving least likely among his competition to drop dead while on the job (yes, we mean this literally). Despite Jules' initial chagrin, that same executive assigns Ben directly to Jules in order to set an example for the rest of the employees in the company. And as the trailers would have you know, Ben will slowly but surely overcome her reservations with a keen sensitive eye and an unerring professionalism, eventually becoming not just a calming ear amidst the day to day chaos at the workplace but also an invaluable source of advice for her professional and personal woes.

Just so you know, De Niro and Hathaway do not eventually fall in love with each other, so you can rest easy if you're wondering or worried if things would eventually get weird or awkward between them; and to put that at rest, Meyers finds De Niro a romantic interest in Rene Russo's in-house massage therapist Fiona and occupies Hathaway with the discovery that her husband (Anders Holm) has been cheating on her with the stay-home mother of her daughter's schoolmate. It is also in the latter where De Niro will come most prominently to play counsellor and confidante, nudging her not to blame her workaholic tendencies for her husband's infidelity. Oh yes, there is a message of empowerment and encouragement for all career mothers within – and a slap on the face if you will have it for their other halves who use that as an excuse to commit adultery.

In keeping with her recent movies, Meyers has eschewed male- dominated Hollywood stereotype by fashioning Jules as a strong, opinionated and successful female individual who can be a hands-on CEO to over 220 employees at her company while being a dedicated mother and loving wife. Her response to her husband's infidelity isn't to fall in love with a fellow co-worker or to divorce him immediately; rather, she wants to give him a second chance, believing that a re-affirmation of their mutual love for each other will convince him to end his affair once and for all. You may disagree – as Ben does – with whether she is being naïve, but hey it's undeniably still a strong gutsy move for a woman to put aside her pride and her hurt to offer forgiveness and to choose to stay together.

Meyers also has yet another intention here, and that is to quash ageism at the workplace. It isn't just coincidence that the company Ben joins is in the Internet business; as incongruous as his presence may be in an industry that arguably does not appeal to his age demographic, Meyers wants to let the young upstart CEOs of today's tech companies know that – as the tagline goes – experience never gets old and that there is something that the Gen-Y leaders can learn from their Gen-X counterparts. You can almost hear Meyers' own lament through Jules that the men of today are a far cry from the likes of Jack Nicholson and Harrison Ford, and that just as Jules does, we will find something to learn from the silver-haired members of our workforce.

Both are equally poignant lessons, but perhaps not so wieldy in the same movie. Meyers tries to convey the latter first, and does so quite persuasively through a mixture of situational comedy and punchlines that are gently amusing but never by way of caricature – indeed, the closest she comes to farce is an 'Oceans' Eleven' like 'heist' led by Ben to break into Jules' mother's house and delete an email that Jules had accidentally sent to her mother. The first hour of the movie cruises by like a breeze, in large part as well thanks to De Niro's spot-on comic timing that he hasn't lost since the last sequel of 'Meet the Parents'. There is also much delight to be had watching De Niro and Hathaway break the ice between their respective characters, their dynamic sincere, heartfelt and genuinely affable.

Unfortunately, Meyers doesn't quite do the former as well, and the latter half of the movie sags as a result of a more melodramatic change in tone and pace. Not to trivialise women in similar predicaments, but it isn't quite so convincing just why Jules' husband would cheat on her in the first place and a tad too convenient how Ben comes to chance upon the fact which ends up putting him in a moral quandary.

And though Meyers' screenplay could do with some work, it is the sheer effervescent chemistry between De Niro and Hathaway that keeps the movie afloat. Both are equally lovely in their respective roles, and the strength of their performances is enough to make you forgive the fact that their characters are probably too good-natured to be true. Yes, 'The Intern' works best when it is a two-hander between its unlikely on screen pairing, and fizzles out especially in the last third once it decides to make three a crowd.

That kind of movie that makes your day

[karimhamamo160 · 10/10 · 23 September 2015]

This is my first review on the IMDb website and i have been a member for more that 9 years now, that's who much i loved this movie. It just give you that positive thoughts and energy within a lovely comedian scenario.

I loved how they mix between the classic culture with the modern one. It was very interesting to watch how they remind our generation about the habits which they are missing from the classic one.

De Niro and Anne Hathaway have excellent work chemistry. Director and camera teams made a great job too... Team work, thank you for this lovely movie...

nice pairing

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 30 September 2016]

Ben Whittaker (Robert De Niro) is a 70 year old Brooklyn widower and a retired executive from the phone company. His son's family lives out of town. He tries to fill his days of leisure. He spots a flyer advertising internships for senior citizens. It's a fast-paced fashion internet commerce site run by Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway). It's been a hectic 18 months for the married mother of little girl and she is reluctantly forced to use Ben as her assistant. Her husband Matt gave up his job to be the stay-at-home dad. Fiona (Rene Russo) is the company masseuse. Ben befriends everyone until Fiona starts to find him indispensable.

Nancy Meyers gets a bad rap as the rom-com has become a passe genre. This is not a rom-com but it is a friend-com. De Niro is a little too perfect as the magical old guy with all the answers and lessons for the young ones. This movie is a bit too neat and clean with the characters. Hathaway is the driven multi-tasking internet executive. The characters may be stock but the actors make them breathe. Some of the side characters have some fun. The big twist (not that surprising) does not really raise the drama although Nancy is trying to say somethings. It all combines to create a nice pairing of these two great actors.

Excellent.

[alexdmtr · 10/10 · 24 September 2015]

I saw the trailer for 'The Intern' sometime ago, advertised before 'Spy (2015)'. I liked the premise and the two lead actors, so today (the premiere in Romania) I had to watch it.

I expected a fun, neat comedy but what I experienced was so much more: a great plot, brilliantly executed and acted. The jokes and fun parts were on point, and the world the movie created felt very authentic, immersive and a joy to watch on the big screen - this was helped by amazing costuming and cinematography.

The entire cast had very strong chemistry between them, and both Hathaway and De Niro were wonderful.

Overall an awesome, heartwarming movie. I walked out of the movie theater with a smile.

DeNiro Charms the Entire Cast

[Hitchcoc · 7/10 · 12 March 2016]

Totally bored with life, Robert DeNiro's character seeks out a new career. He had worked out, traveled the world, read books, on and on. While he is relatively happy, he feels empty. He is seventy years old when he reads a flyer on a bulletin board. A rising company is looking for "senior" interns, that is, people who have had tons of experience who can be used as a kind of publicity stunt. Ann Hathaway is the wunderkind of a clothing company that has feasted on the Internet. DeNiro finds himself with no power, attached to Miss Hathaway, but doing no work. Eventually, by taking on some of the hard work and showing utter kindness, he manages to become quite the institution in the firm. His boss is trying to balance both her career and her marriage (and daughter). At some point, it is decided that she should hire a CEO and give power over to him/her. Soon DeNiro finds himself at the beck and call of Hathaway, becoming part of the family. This is a touching, but predictable effort. It's still a nice two hours and DeNiro steals every scene he is in.

The perfect movie

[madtrip · 10/10 · 21 September 2015]

The Intern .... The sweetest, most perfect And heart touching I have seen in a long time. Of course it helps that Robert De Niro is there but what a movie! This is what all movies should be.

Robert De Niro plays the perfect gentleman, the kind we don't see anymore. And every woman who sees the movie will fall a bit in love with him. Anne Hathaway perfectly plays the role of a successful entrepreneur, a working wife and mom who thinks about everything and everyone and still feels guilty about being a working woman, even after the perfect gentleman tells her He should not be the feminist amongst the two of them. Every working woman will identify with her inner struggles. The story is perfect, with the perfect practical ending, as life is always more practical than idealistic. The small touches like the housewives who look down upon the working mom and make her feel guilty (I have seen many of those), the successful aggressive entrepreneur's fear of hurting her mom, the stay-at-home dad's end-of-day exhaustion that the working mom does not really understand and the young boss' discomfort with her elderly intern... All so real. There's an idea here which I spoke about long back... The huge talent pool of retired people nobody is willing to hire. The intern's wisdom and practicality brings a calm and peace to the busy boss' life. There's a lesson here for us all here. Look at our elders and learn from them. Stop a while in your busy life to get more out of it.

Loved the movie, hope everyone of my generation sees it.

Irresistible first half, clunky second half

[TheLittleSongbird · 6/10 · 28 September 2017]

Love comedy/drama when done right, have liked some of Nancy Meyers' previous work, Robert De Niro at his best is one of the best actors of the latter half of the century (evidenced in 'Taxi Driver', 'Godfather Part II' and 'Raging Bull') and Anne Hathaway has also given good performances. So 'The Intern' seemed promising.

'The Intern' didn't quite live up to expectations, it could have done more with its timely premise and does have things resolved too easily (the cheating subplot in a nausea-inducing forgiveness/reconsideration speech) and characters written too neatly and cleanly (with Ben being very amiable and irresistibly likable if too perfect, Jules is the only one with any real arc). At its best though, it is easy to warm to and for the first half it was continual engagement that didn't demand too much but did what it said on the tin.

What makes 'The Intern' work is the two leads and their chemistry together. De Niro is just a joy in one of his best performances in recent years, while Hathaway is a charming high-flyer with good comic timing, succeeding in allowing character growth to a potentially problematic character. Their chemistry, for such an unorthodox pairing, is so natural and grows warmer without doing it too quickly. Rene Russo is good value though her role is not large while the performances of the colleagues are amusing. The only weak performance with a very flimsily developed and bland character comes from Anders Holm.

It looks good, it's slickly shot and edited and the locations and Hathaway's wardrobe are beautiful on the eyes. The direction is mostly controlled and the film goes at a sprightly pace in the first half. The irresistible charm and a script filled with pleasantly amusing lines and small scenes (such as De Niro turning up at the office in a suit, with a calculator and addressing himself, in a way that's very business-like, in the mirror that reminds one fondly of 'Taxi Driver') and wry observations and insight, taking care in making characters as amiable as possible while never fully developing most of them. The story may lack depth and be unsurprising with some dramatic short cuts in the second half but mostly engages and is charmingly frothy and lively.

Sadly, things take a downturn in a jarring tonal shift to a clunky second half though thanks to De Niro and Hathaway it's not unwatchable. Really admired what 'The Intern' did in giving Jules an arc and it was interesting to begin with, apart from benefitting from more show and less tell at how good she was at her job and such, but halfway through became awkwardly indecisive. The sprightly, feel-good and very easy to warm to tone of the first half is replaced in the second half by pacing that tends to sag and things taking too much of a melodramatic and schmaltzy tone.

For instance the heart to heart/forgiveness scene could have been heartfelt but makes one feel nauseous instead. The wry insights remain but the more sporadic comedic elements don't feel as well timed or placed. As said, Anders Holm doesn't have the same enthusiasm as the rest of the cast and gets lost amidst everything else which does hurt Jules' character arc when she has such a dullard of a spouse. The music score is nothing that sticks in the mind, for music that's pretty repetitive this was a problem.

Overall, decent enough film if one of two halves, starting off very well but later mostly goes down south. 6/10 Bethany Cox.

A Good, Clean, Wholesome Entertainment

[dancing15bear · 9/10 · 1 November 2015]

Sometimes you go to the theater, and you cringe at some of the previews, most of which are full of sex, violence, and an apocalyptic view of the world. It's hard to find a movie that is respectable and clean, with charm and wit, one that is suitable for thinking adults. "The Intern" is such a movie.

Robert DeNiro is superb. How a guy who played such ruthless characters in "Goodfellas" and "Taxi Driver" can pull off this avuncular gentlemen is a testament to his craft. His Ben Whittaker almost seems too perfect, but DeNiro brings a humanity that makes him eminently believable. Anne Hathaway does a fine turn as the Internet entrepreneur, and fleshes out well what could have been a cartoon character of the Übermom. The supporting cast supports wonderfully, giving the stars plenty of room to shine, not distracting from the story. And the plot never goes where it shouldn't, something that does happen in other, more cynical films.

So I would very highly recommend this film. It has some "legs," as evidenced by the fairly sizable audience given that it's in its sixth week of release. You know why? You'll leave the theater entertained and uplifted. And how often can you say that at the cinema these days?

Nice Story that's a bit predictable.

[jimel98 · 7/10 · 5 August 2016]

OK, first and foremost, I'm sick of the pretentious a-holes who rush like sharks to a seal feeding area to condemn this type of movie. You blow hards go and make a few movies and THEN spout off your know it all garbage. GAWDALMIGHTY! OK, with that out of my system, this movie is a fairly predictable and pedestrian film. I have to be brutally honest however, a couple of small curve balls did surprise me, but overall, eh. Not a great movie but hey, a nice story. I use that word a lot, 'nice' and I've acknowledged that before. For some films, it's the best description. It's not exciting, it's not thought provoking and it's not intended to be. It's entertaining and at times, a bit uplifting. In a word, it's NICE! What the hell is wrong with nice? Not a damn thing. The whiney folks who feel every movie must have impact or teach a lesson or...what-have-you, are jerks, morons and probably failed film students who were rejected by EVERY movie studio, even the Troma Team. Let's be honest you egomaniacs, shall we? I'm just a guy who loves movies and in this movie I see a pleasant story that allowed me to sit for an hour and 1/2 and just enjoy a nice story. Is that so wrong? No, dammit, it isn't. Am I angry, yeah, I guess I am. Do I care if I offend a few douche bags? Hell no.

Sorry, I'm really ranting here.

Bottom line, Robert De Niro can do ANYTHING (and sure, it seems like lately he WILL DO ANYTHING!) and he pulled off this role very nicely. If you don't like this word, stop reading....NOW! He's a mild mannered good guy who wants to not be bored. Anne Hathaway has shown she can handle acting very well. I keep wanting to see more depth in her characters, but this movie didn't require much and that's fine. She's a good actor, not a shlub who gets by solely on looks.

Rene Russo. 'Nuff said.

The supporting cast do a magnificent job doing exactly what they are supposed to do, SUPPORT.

Sure, I found some things that I scratched my head at. Where did HE go? Why did SHE do this? What ever happened to....? But it's not a documentary, it's a nice (YEAH, NICE-IN YOUR FACE!) story that shouldn't have to explain everything. People don't go to the movies to have every detail correct and every single moment or event fit perfectly into reality. Take it from me, I can be a stickler with some types of movies, but I'm also a realist and even when I'M the one whining, I try to keep my whining in perspective. Some here do not. They think they're some important critic who's word will make or break a movie. NONE OF US HERE ARE VERY IMPORTANT! GET OVER YOURSELVES! So, bottom line, it's a nice (yeah, nice) movie that entertains. If you like simple movies that simply make you smile, this is one for you. If you demand perfection, make your own damned movies.

Good premise, flawed execution

[Ricardo-36 · 5/10 · 1 October 2015]

The Intern is what I call a "paint by the numbers" film. It hits all the necessary notes for this sort of comedy but misses the point of what a movie is supposed to be, like a paint by the numbers painting misses the point of art. It's like a robot has got the premise, seen a lot of comedy/drama-ish feel good films like Driving Miss Daisy, Devil Wears Prada, etc, and decided to spit out a screenplay. It doesn't work, and what does work, is sustained by the actors performances.

The main problem with the film is the lack of structure. The main protagonist is Ben, at least, that's what the audience is supposed to be led to believe. His life starts the film, he is the one that leads the audience to the situation, but he has no flaws. He has no dilemma. He has absolutely no character arc. He is a widower with too much free time and sort of has a void to be filled, I guess? He doesn't seem to be suffering, and all of his problems are solved at the first 5 minutes. Done. What is his change after that? Nothing. He is a perfect gentleman who does not learn anything in particular, does not grow, has no epiphany or real change. He is a mentor figure, he is not a protagonist.

Jules is the protagonist, but I guess the director did not know that fact. She sort of has a character arc, but it goes by so awkwardly it's just confusing. She has problems with her marriage, which are sort of represented by her husband sleeping when she wants to have sex. She seems to have trouble managing the company, but characters SAY she is having trouble, we don't see it. We have no sense of urgency, no crisis, characters SAY she has trouble managing it all. First rule of film media is: SHOW, don't tell.

Then there's the whole husband cheating subplot that was sort of created to add tension and drama, but falls so flat it's unbelievable. First, the audience learns about the cheating first, and then the protagonist states she already knows about it. Well thanks for letting us know, you gave us NO indication that was a problem. Second, it is resolved as a Deus Ex Machina, he just begs for her forgiveness and for some weird reason, she's just OK with it. I don't buy it.

Then there are the annoying minor characters that have almost no development, and the most annoying writing decision in the film: adding a scene where they break into the mother's home to delete an e-mail, JUST for the sake of adding a frantic, fast paced highly comical scene where one was needed. It goes absolutely against character! Ben offered to break into the house? What? WHY? He was supposed to be a down to earth, calm, wise man who would know better that Jules talking to her mother and explaining her feelings would be better than doing an illegal break in a mother's home.

Rene Russo's character is a waste, added for two reasons: clichéd, juvenile comedy (oh, he is aroused by that older woman, how hilarious! oh, the fat guy interrupted that massage and could NOT get out of the room silently, so funny!), and to just make the audience accept Ben was seeing someone else and would not, under any circumstances, fall for Anne Hathaway's character (so the hotel room scene is not as awkward as it must he felt while writing it).

Characters just do the most bizarre things just for the sake of hitting the points the movie wants to hit, and it goes absolutely nowhere. Does Ben get the CEO job he so OBVIOUSLY deserved? Nope. He just does Tai Chi and that's it.

There is no turn to a second or third act. The whole thing is muddled, confusing, paced so awkwardly you'd assume there is a real plot cut from the movie. Maybe it was a murder mystery, I don't know. The whole thing is lacking a proper movie structure.

Now, the only reason this deserves a 5/10 and not a 1/10, is the acting chops of Anne Hathaway and Robert DeNiro, who does NOT fake in an acting job as he has done for the past years. He keeps it consistent, keeps it believable, hits the tone and sells of that character. I mean, imagine Bill Murray in that same role. It would not work, because we would not see past the actor when the character is so low-key. DeNiro can do it because he is one of the best, he knows how to pull it off, and he does.

I am saddened by the lost potential. I really like the premise, someone older getting into a modern workplace, learning and teaching. If we got this movie's screenplay and asked for, let's say, Lawrence Kasdan to do one additional rewrite, it would be an instant classic. Oh well. Better luck next time.

The Intern is a cute, even likable story about how elders may know more then you think

[RforFilm · 6/10 · 13 October 2015]

It seems that in todays working world, the intern is the new entry-level job. Even with the great recession almost over, the millennial generation faces a new world of hard debt and technological competition. They also face a high number of equally qualified candidates that are more then willing to work for wage, and even for nothing, for the hope that they may receive an offer for a better job within the company their working for. My second job was also an intern position that paid nothing in exchange for experience. I didn't stay with the company, but I learned a lot about working in the Hollywood industry and even in an office environment.

Why are a lot of people willing to work for free? Perhaps with the way the economy is recovering, more companies cannot offer as many paying jobs, yet most people are still intrigued by having a particular business on their resume, with another thing to boast about. Who wouldn't want something like Amazon, Apple, or Google within their credentials? Tech businesses are the rage and everyone seems to be trying their hardest to get in just so they could say they were in. The Intern boasts it's own account of a trainee who may be a few years older, but just as able bodied and ambitious as the next guy.

Former phone book executive Ben Whittaker (played by Robert De Niro) has traveled the world and spent his retirement trying to relax and enjoy new hobbies like Tai Chi. Yet now that he is widower, he still feels empty. Rather then sulk, he takes a new kind of intern program that recruits seniors. His impressive resume and video resume lands him a job for a growing e-commerce fashion company that's in the same building that Ben had worked in for many years.

His boss is the positive, but still intimidating Jules Ostin (played by Anne Hathaway) who find that Ben has been assigned to her. At first, she assumes that he is too old to contribute a whole lot and give him easy work. Only when her chauffeur becomes drunk and Ben takes over that Jules starts to warm up. Ben engages further with her business and even with her family.

Jules in informed by her board that she should find someone else to act as C.E.O. for her company to make the business more professional as it had grown in such a fast eighteen months. Ben does his best to help Jules while she contemplates her decision.

On the surface, The Intern sounds like the kind of movie that would be easy to cater to older audiences with it's wholly positive attitude. For the most it is, but part of me enjoyed it a lot more then I thought I would. A lot of that has to do with Robert De Niro who still puts a lot into his role. It may be no Taxi Driver or Cape Fear, but he still seems to be saying a lot with how to relaxed the millennial generation has become.

Story wise, The Intern is nothing of a challenge; it's your nice story about the misunderstanding of someone's skills while making a friend. I'm still on board as the movie's tone relies on the nice chemistry that De Niro and Hathaway share. I'm really glad they don't attempt any hint of romance and keep them as friends. A racy art house movie might have taken on that notion, but director Nancy Meyers knew what her audience wanted. In short format, The Intern is a cute movie. It's likable and while not a hilarious movie, did manage to get a few laughs out of me.

I'll give this six and a half e-commerce sites out of ten. The Intern shouldn't have trouble finding an audience. It's charm should win most people over and maybe De Niro's points may get through to any young people watching.

Pretty funny, great story all can relate to no matter your age or sex. NOT a romance.

[chaplinman13 · 8/10 · 17 September 2015]

I caught an advance screening of this last night. The theater was close to being packed with men, woman and children. The movie was surprisingly quite funny; didn't know anything about it before viewing. The entire theater ended up cracking up numerous times. There were various times I felt bad for De Niro's character, but he was optimistic and didn't let it effect him, so it was great. There were a couple of instances I would have never guessed things about the movie. There is one scenario in the story that is tough; what would you do if put in that circumstance. I believe ages 20-80 can relate to this movie. We had De Niro's aspect as well as Hathaway's. Good storyline. The "Intern" group of guys were funny too. I'd see this again.

The Intern: Exceeded my expectations

[Platypuschow · 6/10 · 30 April 2018]

So I had no interest in The Intern, at all. The only reason I ended up watching it was because I was cooking in the Caribbean and needed a time out in a beautifully air conditioned room.

Now I like Hathaway, I think she's a competent actress but I very very rarely get to see her in anything as she is a very niche actress and only tends to do the kind of movies I go out of my way to avoid.

With her and DeNiro I expected at least strong performances and I got them and a lot more on top. The ludicrous plot plays out better than you'd expect, it turns into something beautiful and heartfelt.

The Intern is undeniably a sweet movie and it has substance but sadly it also has a number of overwhelming flaws.

Now Nancy Meyers is arguably the "Chick flick" queen and therefore I haven't seen many of her films. Based on this despite it being a competent little film I don't think I'll be rushing to see anymore.

Though full of emotional and thought provoking moments it simply has too much that plays against it and a finale that I had to see with my own eyes to believe.

Passable, but I'm not the demographic.

The Good:

Heartfelt

Well made

The Bad:

Questionable finale

Plenty of schmultz

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

I will never understand why so many react like that to infidelity, leave immediatly you silly girls!

Such a heart-warming movie!

[AnnaPagrati · 10/10 · 3 December 2021]

I can't even with this film! Such a family, beautiful plot, the actors are so good & the whole mood of the movie is just gold! An obvious 10/10, love these kinds of films!

Cuddly and Feel-Good with some Laughs

[ferguson-6 · 6/10 · 24 September 2015]

Greetings again from the darkness. A feel-good mainstream movie featuring two big time movie stars will likely have box office success and cause a lot of people to laugh out loud. In other words, the latest from writer/director Nancy Meyers should be celebrated for its entertainment value, rather than picked apart by film critics. OK, I'll give it a try.

Robert DeNiro stars as Ben Whittaker, a retired 70 year old widower, who just can't seem to find meaning in hobbies and the leisure life. He applies and is selected for the "Senior Intern" program at About the Fit, a fast-growing online clothing company run by its founder Jules Ostin (Anne Hathaway). In addition to being a Type A driven and obsessed with details company leader (the type that rides her bike through the office to save time), Jules also has a husband, a young daughter and a fabulous brownstone. What she doesn't have is enough sleep, any friends, or enough time to enjoy any of the good stuff. It's quite all right if a buddy flick with DeNiro and Hathaway seems unusual to you.

At the same time Ben arrives on the scene, Jules is struggling with her investors' decision to hire a more experienced CEO so that the company can maintain its phenomenal growth. That's about as deep as the business talk ever gets (but just try to keep track of all the Apple product placements). Jules initially spurns Ben, but of course, he soon becomes invaluable around the office, and while blinking his eyes, becomes her most valued confidant and adviser.

Much of the comedy is derived from Ben's interactions with the young employees. It's quite simply a 'generation gap comedy' that makes all the points it needs to make without really breaking a sweat: senior citizens are a wealth of knowledge and can bring value to an organization or relationship, young people can learn from elders (it's OK to shave everyday and dress for success) … and vice versa (computers are our friend), there still exists some animosity between stay at home moms and working moms, stay at home dads face challenges of their own, running a company is hard work both physically and mentally, communication often requires more than a text or email, and staying true to one's self is not always easy.

Ms. Meyers has brought us other mainstream films such as It's Complicated (2009) and Something's Gotta Give (2003), and she has a feel for presenting the upper-middle class as a punchline for the masses. She likes showing successful people in uncomfortable situations … leaning heavy on awkward, while avoiding dangerous altogether. Her latest is a feel good movie that makes you laugh, without causing you to think about anything in your life that might bring you down. And there is real value in that.

OK, I tried, but there are some things that must be pointed out. There was so much of Ms. Meyers' script that was begging to be pushed to the edge and analyzed from a societal aspect. Her specialty is rounding off the corners so that no one gets hurt, and because of that the film is bereft of conflict … the single most important element for a meaningful scene. For example, the conflict between Jules and her husband occurs in a hotel room, which would be fine except … only one of them is there! Also, we never really get any of the story from Ben's perspective. Instead, we are just to believe that his Gandhi-like influence on co-workers is the only reward he seeks. I also found myself bothered a bit in the quick glimpse we get into Ben's personal life. He blows off the advances of Linda Lavin and pursues Rene Russo … understandable, but a bit off-putting given that this female writer chose to have him hook up with the 11 years younger character, rather than the one closer to his own age. There are many other similar type issues that warrant discussion, but that's why it's best to just sit back and enjoy this one, rather than asking "what if?"

Who doesn't love Bobby DeNiro?

[mikipryor-1 · 9/10 · 17 September 2015]

Wonderful contemporary story, great acting. What more can one ask for? DeNiro totally inhabits the role of a bored NewYorker retiree who quietly, commandingly changes everyone around him for the better. There were little bits of sentimental predictability but not many. Nothing slowed the pace for long. It was lovely to see ageism front and center, blasted to smithereens! Subtle, believable performances that did not pander to the problems of aging, but acknowledged them. The boys "road trip" was hilarious. The "boys" themselves were presented as stereotypes but managed to imbue them with personality. There were some great laugh out loud moments! Nicely cast, well-written plot and characters. Go see it! Especially if you are over 60!

Hooray! for Nancy Meyers's generation. They did know better...

[Dr_Sagan · 2 January 2016]

Nancy Meyers is nearly 70 years old and this script seems like an attempt to prove that her generation had the answers for pretty much anything.

Baby boomers everywhere united! You are still needed to share the wisdom. Next generations are only to show you how your laptop opens and how to create an account to facebook.

I guess there countless movies like this. You know some "back in school" flicks where the old guy or girl returns to "school" and instantly becomes one with the "kids" and gives life lessons to the youngsters, how to treat a girl, how to be punctual, about honesty and fidelity. Next generations are just email-exchanging idiots.

Anyway. Despite the whole "wisdom" and "life begins at 70" crap, that are simply not true, you have 3 extremely capable and experienced actors (DeNiro, Hathaway, Russo) delivering the easygoing script and showing enough chemistry to make the film bearable. There is obviously an uplifting mood (the self made millionaire girl etc. etc.) but there are troubles in Paradise. You can't have it all. Success and solid family and be happy. That's the message here, although in the movies anything could happen...

Really Not That Bad!

[Dan1863Sickles · 6/10 · 29 October 2015]

I just saw THE INTERN yesterday, and it really wasn't half bad. But the whole time I was watching Robert De Niro playing the sweet, kind intern, drying Anne Hathaway's tears and so on, I kept thinking about a movie he made many years ago called THE FAN.

THE FAN was this great old-fashioned De Niro movie, the kind our hero used to make when he was really menacing and dangerous. He plays this insane knife salesman who meets this young black baseball player who's a superstar but is having personal problems. And then De Niro decides he has to save this young superstar, but when it doesn't work out he goes berserk!

The thing that struck me was that THE INTERN and THE FAN share an identical plot. And that while THE FAN tries to be dark and scary it's more often fall-down laughing funny, like when De Niro's character keeps bragging that he knows Mick Jagger and that they used to "party till dawn" together. Whereas THE INTERN is meant to be funny but is never fall down laughing funny, except maybe in one scene where De Niro leads a crew of young guys to break into Anne Hathaway's mother's house. (Really, it's much funnier than it sounds. I swear I laughed out loud at some point!)

If only kind old Ben had flipped out at some point . . . like say, when he finds out his adorable boss' no good husband is cheating. I swear at that point I was waiting for De Niro to become his "true" self again, and make the snotty young husband pay and pay and pay. He really should have gone all insane knife salesman on the guy. Or like in CAPE FEAR, he could have started bombarding the wayward husband with Bible verses and mumbling cryptic warnings like, "you're gonna learn about loss."

Now that's comedy!

The Intern is The Boss!

[patsworld · 9/10 · 25 September 2015]

Robert De Niro, as a retired 70 year old who re-enters the work force and proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that oldies are still goodies….also proves just why he is a star as he shines so bright in this movie as to be blinding. He is perfection. There are some actors that the older they get, the better they get, and De Niro is most certainly one. Anne Hathaway, as the genius behind a too-fast growing company is playing what I consider one of her best roles yet. And Rene Russo is still gorgeous as ever. I was impressed, also, by Anders Holm who played Hathaway's husband. But then, actually, I was impressed with everyone in this movie. There really wasn't a single thing or character I would change in this one, and that's saying something. The casting, the plot, the dialogue…and fancy this, it was a funny, touching, enjoyable picture with NO foul language, NO overly-suggestive crude garbage that usually just makes the audience cringe. It was well written, well -acted, and well presented. All rare these days where just the writing ability seems to have dwindled into the dirt. This one is evidence that there are still writers and creators who have talent out there. More movie producers should make a point of seeking and finding them! This is a fun movie that you are going to be recommending to everyone within reading or hearing distance. One of the best films we've seen in some time and left us all smiling as we left the building.

A Female Fantasy Full of Faux-Insights and Hokey Hipness

[LeonLouisRicci · 6/10 · 7 April 2016]

A Modern Feminist Fantasy where an e-Entrepreneur awash in New-Wealth and New-Problems that arise from, well, "not enough hours in the day". That Cliché about the Problem of finding time to "spend with the Family".

It used to be a Man's Challenge, but in this Postmodern World the Women are put to the task. Now there are "Stay at Home Dads", as We are Told They like to be called. This Writer/Director Nancy Meyers Geezer-Gal is so Hip.

Or so She is want to try and demonstrate in every Scene. Robert De Niro is a 70 Year Old "time on His hands" Retiree who is just Giddy at the chance He is given to "Play" with the Youngsters and teach Them a thing or two about the loss of Chivalry (like carrying a hankie for the inevitable waterworks from the opposite sex).

The 'Machines" addicted Moderns return the favor providing assistance on Laptops and Facebook. It's all so "Today". Anne Hathaway is the "Boss" and Founder of this Online Mega-Site that sells Pricey Fashions "Guaranteed to Fit". It's made Her instantly Rich and without much Sleep and a Husband that is too Good to be True.

This is all Mildly Entertaining and about as Deep as a Doodlebug, Charming at times and Insufferably Sappy at others. Everyone and Everything is too Appealing and Almost Perfect to be anything more than Fantastical. The Movie is just too Pleasant and Wish-Fulfilling to contain any "Real" Insight or Inspiration except for, perhaps, Women with a "Glass of Wine and a Laptop".

She is the centre of the universe

[juraj-jerkovic · 2/10 · 2 October 2021]

Thats what the film is about. And everyone should adapt their lives for her hapiness and success and be happy to do so. And thats what they do in the film. Its a 100% chick movie pampering to present female fantasies about life full of unrealistic characters. De Niro was interesting in the beginning but than he becomes the daddy who supports his special princess girl.

Forced life

[chaos-rampant · 6 January 2016]

If I ran my own studio and this was brought to me as something we made there would be hell to pay. A bunch of people would have to be off the lot by noon and whatever profits it made would go to finance a new Harmony Korine film as antidote to what we inflicted.

Why is that? It's a simple, feel good movie after all about an aging man, widower, who lacks a story in life and enters the upbeat world of a younger woman. They secured a lovely presence in Hathaway, DeNiro in his usual mode; two faces, sea otter smile or frown.

But it's such a cynical thing to take these people and reduce them in this way to make 'points'. It is feel good at the expense of all the other stuff, starting with laughs.

A story about an old man afraid he doesn't have anywhere to fit and he's reduced to nanny and chaperone and wise adviser of the young. DeNiro feels comfortable in the role or he wouldn't be here, as if he has agreed with himself actor-wise to be that person.

A story about a career-driven woman and her stay-at-home husband who abandoned his own career to raise family; when after feeling neglected he turns to an affair, the only insights we have is that he cheated and she shouldn't compromise her career, no others are really allowed her character. He is contrite by the end.

We would be smacking our heads at all of this, at the old man stereotype if he was black. We would be aghast to see a housewife reduced to this perception of her. It dismays. To see stereotypes we would like chased away from our storytelling come in through the backdoor as values?

It's social tinkering with roles, a bit like that Trainwreck. But indicative of the same tendency to reduce people as once plagued older films that we might would look back on their values as archaic. A revealing bit has three geeky twentysomethings lectured about men having been reduced to boys by a cultural shift as if this was a movie that was trying to see beyond reductions, but alas, restrained by how things really are. Anemic.