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List Price: $12.98 | | Label: Universal Studios
Salesrank: 25745
Released: March 7, 2006 |
| Our Price: $1.86 |
| Used Price: $0.01 |
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MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Prime is a sophisticated character comedy set in New York City about Rafi (Uma Thurman) a recently divorced 37-year-old career woman from Manhattan and what happens when Dave (Bryan Greenberg) a talented 23-year-old painter from Brooklyn falls in love with her. The film looks at love from everyone's point-of-view friends relatives and in this case Rafi's therapist Lisa (Meryl Streep) and follows all who comes apart and some who pull it together when two people fall in love.System Requirements:Running Time: 106 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: COMEDY Rating: PG-13 UPC: 025192630729 Manufacturer No: 26307
Description of Prime (Full Screen):
Bolstered by an appealing cast and the comedic genius of Meryl Streep, Prime is an above-average "rom-com" that never stoops to compromise. The plot conceived by writer/director Ben Younger (Boiler Room) is a bit far-fetched, but once he's established that 37-year-old Gentile divorcee Rafi Gardet (Uma Thurman) is unknowingly dating the 23-year-old son (Bryan Greenberg) of her Jewish psychotherapist (played by Streep), the unlikely premise gets an intelligent workout, touching upon all of the issues that would realistically emerge as their dilemma is taken to its logical (or illogical) extremes. As a pair of genuinely devoted lovers in their sexual prime (hence the title), Thurman and Greenberg make this movie a constant joy to watch (and let's face it, Uma's utterly irresistible as an "older woman" who's looking for Mr. Right). But it's Streep's mastery of multi-layered expression and subtle comedic timing that makes Prime so engaging. Younger is also refreshingly resistant to easy solutions and conventional feel-good sentiment; he constantly steers Prime toward a sensible examination of a hazardous romance, never insulting the intelligence of his characters or his audience. The result is a mature, honest relationship comedy that never feels forced, but still offers plenty of good, solid laughs. --Jeff Shannon
Prime (Full Screen) Reviews:
"It's only going to end badly." 
2009-03-30 - I've been meaning to watch this romantic comedy for years, and now that I've finally seen it, I'm just sorry that it took me so long to get around to it. It is a well-written, well-performed, sweet and realistic depiction of love between an older woman and a younger man, and a therapist with strong ties to them both.
In the one featurette included with the extras, writer/director Ben Younger mentions his inspirations: "Annie Hall", "When Harry Met Sally . . .", "Manhattan" -- and sure enough, the movie really is a throwback to those great romantic comedies. As he says very clearly, it's not "broad" -- it's not some Kate Hudson vehicle designed by a studio to hit a major demographic. It's a very New York story, and he uses the city wonderfully to help him tell his story. Nothing feels like a set. And nothing feels forced. The movie made me laugh harder than anything I have seen in a while, yet there are really no "jokes" in it (apart from the dorky ones the male lead tells). Instead, he uses his characters to create humor with the awkward situations they find themselves in, and he allows his talented team of actors to create it with their performances.
What this film is, is very grown-up. One of the most mature and thoughtful romantic comedies I've seen in years. There's no "meet cute", no complicated premise, no real "hook". It really takes skill to create a movie of this genre where you actually wind up making an emotional investment in the characters, and that is a testament to the script even more so than the players. That the script came from the same guy who brought us "Boiler Room" in 2000 is slightly surprising, but that movie definitely had its moments too. Clearly Ben Younger is getting better and better over time. And given the apparent 5-year pattern, maybe next year we'll get another one that's even better than this!
Aside from the aforementioned feauturette, extras include deleted scenes (one of which reveals exactly what it is that Uma's character does for a living), outtakes and a commentary by Ben Younger. They even have closed-caption, which is great. I know the ending will throw people for a loop, especially if when they hear "romantic comedy" they expect "27 Dresses" style garbage, where you can predict the ending from the moment you start watching the opening credits. I encourage you to enter into the viewing of this movie without thinking of it as a "rom-com" -- just think of it as a film about characters and life and the nature of real love, and then perhaps you'll enjoy it as much as I did.
The most goyish jewish mother in the world. 
2009-03-16 - However did they convince us Streep was the best actress of her time? The female De Niro! Here she tops even her Lindy Chamberlain Australian travesty. Australians still laugh at her accent in that "performance". Here she channels Dustin Hoffman in Tootsie to play a wooden Jewish psychologist. Her "Jewish" mannerisms do not ring true at all. All stereotypes and woodenness. Merryl honey, find me a New York Jewish psychologist as inarticulate and mumbling as the one you portrayed. Yeah right! The plot is weak and strained as it tries to parlay a single idea into a whole movie. Uma Thurman is the best thing in this movie and that's pretty faint praise my friends.
Avoid this film like the plague. It has the feeling of made for TV at best.
Missed the boat
2008-12-06 - I don't wish to be insulting, but I did not like this movie for several reasons. I should disclose that I turned it off a little over an hour in. I had no problems with the story, but nothing thus far had lead me to believe that the writer/director had the skills to save the movie. Please be assured, the one-star ranking is not an insult to anyone who liked the movie, made the movie, etc. Just a measure of how good I thought the movie was.
1) There was no chemistry whatsoever between the two romantic leads. At the end of their first date, Uma Thurman's character leans over and says "I had a really nice time," and I had to blink twice. Really? Did I miss that? I only heard you giggle awkwardly at an unfunny joke your date made that didn't even come off as cute, and then the date was over.
2) The dialog is entirely unexpressive. There's something to be said for giving the actors room to play ball, but too much and it becomes a meandering excursion in futility. At least it wasn't corny, with the exception of Bryan Greenberg's jokes. And many of the characters' reactions made no sense. Greenberg shows up unnanounced at Thurman's work, barges into a private area, acts like a jerk to someone who actually belongs there, and when she's upset with him he tells her that he's had a bad day and she instantly forgives him. I didn't buy it.
3) The biggest failing, I felt, was the lack of music. It can be nice to have silence or a minimalist score (thinking Match Point or Monster's Ball) but big gaps of silence for no reason just make the stilted, ineffective dialog even more awkward than it already was. I actually watched the beginning over, to look for some effect that the depleted score brought to the table. I came up empty.
4) The Jewish thing, while not offensive, is not very well explained. There's a good deal of Jewish stereotyping, most particularly that Meryl Streep's character wish her son to marry a Jewish girl. I dated a Jewish girl once and her family loved me, but I'm told this happens frequently, so it would likely be readily understandable to anyone Jewish watching this movie. To anyone else, her character could come across as bigoted without an explanation of why she feels the way she does. A single line of dialog, given early on, could've done this.
5) The sex scenes were awkward to watch. Moreover, afterward you have to hear Uma Thurman rave about them. You really get a feeling that the script is trying to talk you into seeing things that you didn't see.
That's enough for now. I hope this was helpful.
An Irresistible Romantic Comedy
2008-10-25 - PRIME is an irresistible, often hilarious romantic comedy. The characters and the issues involved are real, and the film has an honest ending; the right ending. I loved this movie.
Uma Thurman stars as a 37-year-old divorcee who falls for a 23-year old struggling, albeit talented, painter (Bryan Greenberg). Her shrink (Meryl Streep) initially approves of the relationship, because she thinks it will help her patient get out of her post-divorce funk.
However, after a couple of weeks, Streep realizes that the new man in Uma's life is, in fact, her own son.
Now, what does she do? Drop Uma as a patient...or continue to treat her?
One thing that she does not want is for Bryan to be involved with Uma. As Meryl sees it, the age difference is not the only problem with the relationship. She's also concerned that Uma is not Jewish.
There are some very funny scenes in this picture, such as the therapy sessions in which Uma describes to Meryl, in graphic detail, her sex life with her new boy friend. Mother Meryl's subdued reactions are priceless.
Ben Younger wrote and directed this delightful film, which co-stars Jon Abrahams as Bryan's buddy who breaks-up with his girl friends in a very unique manner.
DVD extras include deleted scenes and bloopers.
© Michael B. Druxman
Skirting the clichés 
2008-08-07 - A 23-year-old man falls for an "older" (37-year-old) woman whose therapist is the young man's mom. Great potential for cliché, right? "Love conquers all" and all that. But "Prime" treats its audience with a bit of intelligence, providing delightful servings of both drama and comedy. Uma Thurman plays Rafi, a fashion maven whose marriage just fell apart. She bumps into 23-year-old David (played with intelligence and bumbling charm by Bryan Greenberg) at a movie theater. The pair can't take their eyes off each other and are soon a going thing.
A couple of mild spoilers: Rafi's spills the beans on her new relationship to her therapist, played with ticky hilarity by Meryl Streep. All is well until it dawns on Streep that Rafi's new paramour is none other than her own son. This much you could glean from the DVD cover. The movie's comedy comes from watching Streep's discomfort as she hears more than she wants to about her kid. But leavening the laughs is the truly serious story of two people wondering whether they are right for each other and whether the age difference can be overcome in spite of the fire of their passion. Greenberg finds the razor's edge to play a David who mature and sensitive --for his age -- but still a kid at heart. Rafi loves her new lover, but wonders about integrating him into her circle of close and quirky friends. David's piggish friend Morris is the perfect comic foil, diverting the excess comic energy from David -- who must remain as serious as he is funny. The movie does not downplay the difficulties of its character's differences and the surprise ending is the perfect topper for this smart, engaging film.
