Rom-com surprise
Witty and endearing, Prime transcends genre expectations
Reviewed by Ryan Simmons
Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures
Prime
Directed by Ben Younger
Now Playing
4 / 5
Prime is a rare breed. It’s a generic romantic comedy that is able to balance an outrageous situation with genuine heartfelt wit without shamelessly begging for laughs or coming off as manipulative.
In fact, this movie embraces all of the conventions of the genre. All of the clichés you expect from a typical romantic comedy are present, from the wacky best friend to the dramatic third act temporary break-up. Yet it’s all presented in a very genuine and low-key fashion.
The story, set in the affluent Upper East Side of Manhattan, centres on a relationship between 23-year-old struggling Jewish artist David Bloomberg (Bryan Greenberg) and 37-year-old recent divorcee Rafi Gardet (Uma Thurman). Lisa Metzger (Meryl Streep) is, unbeknownst to David, Rafi’s psychologist, and unbeknownst to Rafi, David’s mother. She feels obligated to reveal this to neither of the two in order to continue helping Rafi. In addition to this, Lisa does not want David becoming seriously involved with a gentile. And thus we have the wacky situation.
During her therapy sessions, Lisa encourages her patients to broaden their horizons and condones Rafi having a therapeutic fling with a much younger man. However, this complete liberal-mindedness disappears when her son is involved.
Lisa is without a doubt the comedic center, as she’s at the heart of all of the deception. Streep seems to enjoy herself immensely in these scenes, where the roles she plays as domineering mother and enabling therapist come unexpectedly crashing together. Of course, Lisa doesn’t feel too comfortable in this conflicted position, least of all when Rafi energetically describes in excruciating detail the sex life she’s enjoying with David, which climaxes with a cringe-inducing description of David’s penis (much comedic mileage is had from the word).
Greenberg is commendably adept at generating comedy through his endearing social awkwardness. Thurman is, as usual, note-perfect throughout. The romance between them seems perfectly genuine, and the obvious problems that their respective experiences create are realistically portrayed and explored. These two performances are all the more impressive considering affluent and beautiful urbanites who spend their nights in the trendiest of restaurants and gallery openings just beg to be resented.
Younger presents all of this with great style, frequently employing cut-away flashbacks as punch lines, which add potency to some more emotional scenes.
Prime is a pleasant surprise that employs the hallmarks of the romantic comedy genre to give us something that is genuinely moving and funny. It’s smart, inventive and entertaining — a claim that the majority of films in the same mold don’t come close to obtaining.
