A rare and subtle comedy, "Prime" did little at theaters but has the potential to be a hit among women and even some guys
if word gets out. The Uma Thurman/Meryl Streep dramedy is a fun little film that features Streep''s best performance in years.
"Prime" follows Rafi (Thurman), a divorcee who sees her therapist Lisa (Streep) on a regular basis. One day, Rafi announces to Lisa that she has met a young lover and is perhaps falling in love. She is 37 and her new boyfriend David is 23; she is a career-driven professional and he is a struggling young artist; but he is great and the sex is great. There''s only one problem - unknown to either woman, David is Lisa''s son. Lisa immediately gives Rafi kudos for dating a younger man, while she scolds David for dating outside his date range. The conflict is there, but things don''t really get bad until Lisa discovers the truth... and hides it from Rafi.
The dynamic of "Prime" is a great one; the movie is primarily a romantic comedy-drama about Rafi and David, but strength lies in the scenes with Streep, who hasn''t been this dominant in years. Thurman is terrific; she seems to get sexier with each passing year, and is perfect in the role. So is Bryan Greenberg, who has appeared in a variety of TV shows. But it is Streep, who makes you laugh with every neurotic expression and word that comes out of her mouth. When she finds out the truth about her son and Rafi, she turns it up even more.