Prime


Meryl Streep does a comedic turn as the shrink whose shikse patient is dating her Jewish son

Rafi (Uma Thurman) is a 37-year-old recent divorcee who has never been very happy with her relationships, until she meets good-looking, sensitive 23-year-old David Bloomberg (Bryan Greenberg). Her therapist, Lisa Metzger (Meryl Streep), completely approves of Rafi's dating this younger man, but she doesn't approve of her son seeing a non-Jewish woman, much less one so much older than him. The comedy ensues when Lisa realizes that her son is the young man she approves so highly of for Rafi. Her own therapists suggests she wait before calling off treatment with Rafi.

What's particularly good about Prime is that it never strays too terribly far from reality. Everything seems quite plausible. And watching Streep squirm as Rafi tells her all sorts of intimate details about her own son's sex life is a scream. And of course, the fallout once the whole story is revealed is quite funny as well.

Contrary to the trailers, the movie is much more about the two people in the relationship than it is about Streep and Thurman. Even without Streep as her therapist and his mother, Prime raises a lot of issues about inter-faith couples and age disconcondant couples that also looks and feel realistic, giving this comedy a refreshing if somewhat bittersweet tinge. That David is concealing his living arrangements--he's bunking with his grandparents--and lacks some of the judgement that only comes with living a bit longer are all telling. That Rafi's friends put him through an interrogation of sorts is also telling too.

Overall, a suprisingly good romantic comedy without improbable situations.

[Seen at the UA Kaufman theatre in Astoria]

Posted: Sat - November 5, 2005 at 12:48 PM        

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