Product: Prime
Rating: 4.0
Primed for Perfect
Uma Thurman plays Rafi, a 37 year old woman who is just finalizing a divorce, and seeing a therapist to cope with the pressures her luxurious life is giving her. Bryan Greenberg plays Dave, a 23 year old shy artist who, in all honesty, has no sense of direction and we know little about, except the fact that he lives with his grandparents and his friend has an interesting "performance art" with pies. The third leg to all this is that Rafi's therapist is Dave's mother, who dismisses the thought of her son even dating a non-Jewish girl. And when Rafi and Dave meet and begin a serious relationship, pardon the cliché, the hilarity ensues.We appreciate Prime for the smiles it brings to us. The way everyone can relate to something. The way Uma Thurman looks the best we've seen her in a while. The way Bryan Greenberg can pull of the age of 23 and the maturity of 24 and 34. We cringe at all the moments that Meryl Streep is just about to discover that her son and her patient are dating. The funny thing about this discovery is that by the time the cat is released from the bag, we are too wrapped up in the plot lines elsewhere. That is a compliment to the writing, because it is actually written with brilliance. The structure of the movie is a good one, but like a lot of good movies stuck in the basement in the House of Greatness, the ending is sub par. We fail to feel the emotions the characters are feeling, and with the build up like Prime presents, the pay off at the end needed to be big. Whether the feeling is sadness or happiness, we need to feel it. Prime fell short of being perfect, but primer without paint is simply a project incomplete.This movie gives a great ride, and the laughs ring and the moments of truth are harsh. Uma Thurman gives her usual well-done performance, it was obvious that this role needed no training on her part, or anyone's part. Meryl Streep is a solid and believable Jewish mother with tendencies to cry and overreact. Bryan Greenberg is a novice playing a simple game with veterans, and manages to break even with them. Like most critics won't say, I do believe that the ending is strong enough to support the movie, and all poking and prodding aside, it's definitely worth the hour and forty minutes out of your busy day.