Product: Prime
Rating: 3.0
A Nice Film, But Elements Of "Prime" Left Me Slightly Unsettled
As "Prime" unfolded before me, I was initially swept up with the story it had to tell. The chemistry and easy charm between Uma Thurman and Bryan Greenberg impressed me, and their subsequent romance and sexual liaison seemed credible. I also enjoyed the relationship between Thurman and her therapist played by Meryl Streep--again, lots of naturalness and humor. Of course, you all know that Streep is Greenberg's mother and that will set off a series of complications.The film is most successful when dealing with these relationships, and the sweet and thoughtful cadence is appreciated. The moments of broader humor, while sometimes funny, seem at odds with the story the film is trying to tell. I liked the performances, too. Thurman, especially, is evolving nicely as an actress. But the longer the film went on, the more cynical I became. Something in the tone just wasn't right, something started bothering me.I found certain elements of the film unsettling when I thought about it too much. There is a slight undercurrent of prejudice that wafts through the film. I know that there is still a reality to people wanting their children to marry within their own faith--but Streep's character is a therapist. She and her husband seem happy and progressive, yet can't entertain the idea of their son even dating someone who isn't Jewish. And when he dates a black girl, he can't even tell them. It's all so old fashioned in viewpoint and not particularly kosher. And Thurman's character pretty much supports her young lover. No one ever raises the question of his being a kept man--but that's precisely what he becomes. That certainly wouldn't be unusual in the circles she travels in--but the fact that no one even mentions it seems unlikely. Her friends are too busy swooning at the romance to be the slightest bit skeptical of the motivation behind it.This is just my "read" on the film--some of the feelings it stirred in me. I doubt that others will feel the same way necessarily. But if I wasn't left with these odd impressions, I surely would have rated this at 4 stars. You can do a lot worse than "Prime"--most of the film I enjoyed as thoughtful and sincere. KGHarris, 11/06.