THE INTERN (2015)

On the surface there's nothing new about The Intern; Anne Hathaway plays a beleaguered young woman, Jules, whose new internet start-up is growing almost too big for her, when her busy life's made busier as she's forced to take on an intern, Ben (Robert De Niro), as part of a program to help senior citizens.  A typical workplace comedy, with a slight twist.  But De Niro is such a marvel - being the oldest out of 220 twenty-something employees, Ben sort of becomes the "uncle" of the office, so affable and sweet and always wanting to help, you can't not fall in love with him ... and, by extension, the film.  Hathaway, in the "straight" guy role, is perfect as well - the film so wonderfully written and funny, with genuine warmth and humor and not a false note in the cast, I couldn't help but enjoy myself immensely watching it (even if I did have to keep reminding myself this was the same dude from Taxi Driver and Raging Bull).  De Niro's never been better, the entire film a sweet surprise. (rated PG-13)  A-