Prime Full Screen DVD with Uma Thurman, Meryl Streep, Bryan Greenberg (R) +Movie Reviews +Used DVD available for Swap

A romantic comedy about two lovers in their sexual "prime"

Wayne Klein | My Little Blue Window, USA | 03/05/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"A comedy of errors and age differences, "Prime" (referring to a man and woman's sexual prime which are at different ages) is a clever film that didn't play well in theaters. Perhaps it got lost in the glut of holiday event movies or the lack of buzz because that's too bad. While it isn't a great romantic comedy it has charm and a great comedic performance from Meryl Streep as well as appealing performances (and chemistry)from Uma Thurman and Bryan Greenberg.

Rafi (Uma Thurman)is mired in a messy divorce that's taken all of the joy out of her life. Until she meets David (Bryan Greenberg)a man 14 years her junior living with his grandparents. Her therapist Lisa Metzger (Meryl Streep)is pleased for her until she realizes that the stories that Rafi's been relating about her new love is about her son. While the film does occasionally steer into sitcom territory the appealing cast and performances keep the film on course most of the time.

"Prime" looks very nice in this widescreen transfer. For those who hated widescreen there's also a separate full screen release available as well. The special features are quite limited and could be better. While we get a decent commentary track from the director and producer, I'd rather hear the cast talk about their characters and in particular hear about the experience of Thurman and Greenberg working together in this romantic comedy with Streep. We get a standard "making of" featurette where the director discusses his inspiration (one of those hit-by-lightning moments when he wondered what it would be like if the girl he was dating was seeing his mother a therapist and neither one knew about the other). This romantic comedy certainly deserved more inspired featurettes--what about one on the trials and tribulations of women dating younger men?

While the film isn't perfect it's entertaining and has a marvelous comedic performance from Streep as well as great chemistry between Thurman and Greenberg on screen. "Prime" is an appealing romantic comedy that isn't a bad way to spent an afternoon.

"

Love is Not Just a Four-Letter Word

Ismail Elshareef | West Hollywood, CA United States | 10/28/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of those one-of-a-kind comedies. It's sexy, hilarious, bittersweet and realistic. Superb performances by Uma Thurman, Meryl Streep and Bryan Greenberg add so much credibility to the plot and the sweetness of the story.

When 23-year-old David (Bryan Greenberg) who comes from a traditional Jewish family falls in love with 37-year-old Rafi (Uma Thurman), a sexy divorcee that believes in Christ, hell and heaven break lose. David's mother (Meryl Streep) is Rafi's therapist who helps her through her divorce and her relationship with this new flame, this young buck for whom she's head over heels. David's mom soon realizes that the man her patient is in love with is her own son. Confused with hilarity (Meryl Streep is fantastic playing a Jewish mama), she tries to be fair to both her patient and her son.

This is a film for everyone that's ever been in love. It's sweet, heartwarming and love affirming. Go see it."

Save yourself 106 minutes of boredom....

Chinamommy | Cincinnati, OH | 05/14/2006

(1 out of 5 stars)

"Luckily I rented Prime from the library; otherwise I'd be ticked at wasting $5 at Blockbuster.

Brief summary: Older woman (Uma) and younger guy (no-name actor) fall in love. Rafi (Uma) finds out that younger guy's mom is her shrink. Rafi and young guy break out, reunite, break up, reunite, break up...well, you get the picture.

If this movie sounds boring, that's because it is. The two main characters have zero chemistry together. Seeing them together doesn't seem realistic. The typical Jewish jokes ensue, along with younger guy's best friend throwing pies at girlfriends. Ugh. I think I chuckled maybe twice during the film. I just wasted 106 minutes of my life that I'll never get back.

Save yourself 106 minutes of boredom and avoid this film. You'll be thanking me."

Unexpectedly beautiful ---

Customer | 12/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I've seen this several times now (I actually lived this story -- a 30-ish woman who dated and fell in love with a 20-ish man) - the truth is very accurately portrayed here. Anyone can love (and be loved by) anyone. Love does what it does. I know that sometimes you just don't have a choice of you you love. The movie shows this relationship (just like any other relationship) having it challenges, as well as blissfully happy times. What I love about the movie is that it shows that the 30-ish woman just had a bit more wisdom, lived a bit longer, and accomplished somewhat more than her younger lover -- BUT that none of this mattered, because the younger man actually gave her love, which she returned. In the end, because of their differences, she used her wisdom and experience to do what was best for her lover. It ended a little sadly, but with love and beauty. Yes, this sounds slightly sappy. But, for those who've experienced the real thing -- I bet you can relate. Speaking for myself, my relationship ended painfully, but I don't regret it...because the love I lived in was real."

Quality movie, limited DVD

Sound the Sirens Magazine | Melbourne, Australia | 01/06/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"(originally published at Sound the Sirens Magazine)

If age was nothing more than a number, the characters in this Ben Younger directed flick would meander through this picture with very little to do. While entrenched in the typical romantic comedy type vehicle, Prime actually delves a little deeper than your standard studio fare. Keen on expressing character struggle and complicated relationship dilemmas, it is a juggling lesson between trying to be deep while still basic enough to cater to larger audiences.

Rafi (Thurman) is a 37-year-old recent divorcee who finds comfort in the much younger (14 years younger) David, an eager but naïve recipient of Rafi's desire for love. Having to deal with the generational gap is cause for concern, and coincidentally, Rafi's psychiatrist happens to be David's mom (played with sparkling flair by Streep). Cue uncomfortable conversations regarding David's anatomy and in-bed bravado and you have a talk no mom wants to be involved in. Herein lies the film's most interesting conflict- Streep is brilliant as she stumbles and fumbles through her son's apparent lack of concern for religious stability and love for Rafi as she tries to balance her role as psychiatrist and mother.

The relationship between the three is fun, emotional, humorous and by far, provides the audience with Prime's most interesting moments. It's these exchanges and coming to terms with the situation that gives Prime a certain "indie flick" feel to it- a bold step in trying to scrape deeper than the usual surface material found in more conventional romantic/comedic affairs. Whether it is Rafi and David dealing with their age gap ("if you like sex, no Nintendo!") or Streep's initial breakdown upon discovering the relationship, director Ben Younger advances through these situations with enough care to highlight the more serious complications while still making them approachable to viewers who prefer relationship conflict with less tension.

There are however, brief interchanges that make Prime feel as if it were a 20-minute sitcom pilot stretched far beyond the hour-mark. There's David's bumbling sidekick (Abrahams) who provides nothing more than cheap laughs, and a myriad of plastic characters that seem rather lifeless compared to the main three. They weave in and out of the narrative while never connecting with any of the leads.

Prime is interesting enough to ask the right questions about age, relationships (boy-girl, mother-son and so forth) and the outcome of the decisions made. It isn't without its faults as at times, it struggles to figure out just what it wants to be. For the most part, the film succeeds in being both entertaining and interesting, and when it comes to romantic comedies, it's more than you can ask for these days.

DVD Features: Not the kind of the DVD you buy for the extra features as they are few and far between. It's the usual stuff- outtakes, deleted scenes ... thankfully the film itself is good enough to warrant a DVD purchase."

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