The Intern movie poster
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The Intern
The Intern movie poster

The Intern Movie Review

Now available on Blu-ray and DVD (Buy on Amazon)

It's feel-good drama time! The Intern proves that if you play it safe and present as little real drama as possible, your movie can still work--even if it will be immediately forgettable.

Robert De Niro stars as Ben, a widower who, bored of retirement, applies for a senior internship and a fast-growing and experimental tech firm, headed by a driven CEO (Anne Hathaway). While she is wildly successful in business, her relationship with her husband and daughter is strained to the breaking point. Through an unlikely friendship, Ben demonstrates to his temporary boss that she can have it both ways.

The Intern is the sappy, lighthearted drama you'd expect from director Nancy Meyers (Something's Gotta Give), and there's nothing wrong with that. While the movie received some flak from critics for being as low stakes as movies can come, the film is mildly entertaining and worth a watch, especially if you like Meyers' brand of filmmaking.

Though neither are particularly challenged by the material, both De Niro and Hathaway are solid in their respective roles. De Niro seems to have thankfully gotten over his itch for wacky (and bad) comedies that marred his legacy in the early 2000s, though The Intern is by no means a true return to form. Still, he makes for a fine and likeable lead.

The movie is far from great, of course. The film thankfully doesn't dwell too long on Ben's lack of technology skills--a cliche if you've ever seen one--but it glosses over the natural conflicts one might expect from a senior citizen joining a largely 20-something staff. Of course, with moral lessons like “elderlies still add value,” The Intern is made for older audiences, and its tone is effective in that regard.

If you never see The Intern, you won't have missed much, but if you do spend the time to check this little film out, it'll make for a harmless couple of hours.

Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.

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