Product: Prime
Rating: 5.0
"It's only going to end badly."
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.