Thanks to a quirky performance from Oscar winner Meryl Streep, Prime, the romantic comedy with Streep and Academy Award nominee Uma Thurman, manages to deliver some laughs throughout the movie even if it runs out of steam before the credits roll.
The movie, which was written and directed by Ben Younger, has a funny plot featuring a recently divorced 37-year-old woman named Rafi (Thurman) falling in love with a 23-year-old painter named David (played by Bryan Greenberg). The problem is that David just also happens to be the son of Rafi’s therapist Lisa Metzer (Streep) which causes all kinds of problems for everyone.
The laughs really start when Streep first advices Thurman to go for it then discovers that the man Thurman is in love with is Streep’s son – a discovery made even funnier given it happens while Thurman is discussing their sex life. Streep then spend most of the rest of the movie trying to figure out how she can convince Thurman to stop dating her son without revealing the family connection; how to convince her son to date a nice Jewish girl (something that is insanely important to Streep) and not Thurman; and trying to make it through all the frank talk Thurman enjoys about the relationship. She also juggles whether this knowledge crosses the lines of Doctor/patient relationship, and discusses the problem with her own shrink.
While all of Streep’s problems make up most of the comedy elements in the movie, the relationship between Thurman and Greenberg fills the romantic needs nicely. The couple meet; fall in love at first sight; discover the age difference; try to work past it; and just when it is going right discover that Streep is Thurman’s therapist. This naturally adds some tension to the relationship, and we start to see the romance coming undone.
Streep’s performance saves the movie from being a typical romantic comedy, and really makes it worth watching –despite its many faults. The scene where she discovers the truth about Rafi’s new boyfriend will have you laughing out loud, as well as the very uneasy discussion between Thurman and Streep about the sex. Her obsession with her son marrying a Jewish woman is also funny, and something that drives a lot of the problems in their relationship. You also have to enjoy the lengths that Streep is forced leap to try and keep Thurman and Greenberg from discovering her secret. At the same time, she is not in the movie enough to keep you laughing through the entire film, and even some of her neurotic behavior gets old towards the end.
The age difference is clear when Thurman and Greenberg live together
Greenberg also adds some laughs through his constant visualization of his dead Jewish grandmother beating herself in the head with a frying pan whenever he does something “wrong.” He fails to really hold the movie together, and at times lacks any chemistry with Thurman. He also adds some laughs through his relationship with his friend Morris (played by Jon Abrahams) – who has a pie fetish that he likes to take out on the women who refuse to date him. His best scenes are with Streep, but the relationship with Thurman slows the movies down at times.
Thurman does a good job in the movie, but this is far from her best performance (in my opinion that is saved for Kill Bill Vol. 1 & 2). She seems to rely on the movie’s plot to provide the laughs through the awkward situations that she finds with Streep. She isn’t bad in the movie, but doesn’t really seem to put much effort in her character. The relationship with Greenberg lacks any real sparks, and you have to question her reasons for wanting to continue after everything goes wrong. This question gets even stronger when they get back together towards the end, but I don’t want to reveal the movie’s actual ending in the review.
Although the movie has some laughs to keep you watching, it quickly runs out of steam once Streep reveals the truth to Thurman. It then becomes much closer to a drama, and there are few laughs for the rest of the movie. There is a funny family dinner that lightens the mood, but most of the second half of the movie quickly goes downhill. Without the comedy from Streep, the movie’s pace begins to crawl, and it takes way too long for the ending to come. I did enjoy how the movie ended, and how the filmmakers were willing to break away from the typical romantic comedy ending that we have all seen a thousand times.
Streep provides the laughs through Thurman’s therapy sessions
The DVD comes with several special features including over ten minutes of deleted scenes (which may seem a bit much since the movie’s pace was already long); a behind the scenes look at the making of the movie; some funny outtakes which are always enjoyable when added to a DVD; and feature commentary with Younger and producer Jennifer Todd.
Although Prime doesn’t present the best performance from Steep or Thurman, the movie is funny at times, and has enough laughs to make up for some of the weaker moments in the film (mostly towards the end). Streep delivers a character that somehow seems like everyone’s mother, and some of the situations she finds herself in will make you laugh like crazy. Thurman is beautiful in the film, but never really develops her character. I would recommend the movie to anyone who enjoys the romantic comedy genre, or wants something light hearted in tone.
Prime is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there isn’t a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD’s database for more information.
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