Prime

Director: Ben Younger

Although most of the attention concerning actress Meryl Streep's film work in 2006 dealt with her hilariously nasty Golden Globe winning and Academy Award nominated role as the boss from hell in The Devil Wears Prada, another fine performance by the versatile performer was overlooked in Prime, a sleeper romantic comedy. Now on DVD, hopefully writer/director Ben Younger's sharp and sexy film will finally get the audience it deserves. Beautifully photographed (Woody Allen fans will love the scenic views), Prime is bursting with creative selections in music, editing and in its overall style that's indicative of the feeling of flirtation turned to love. The story centers around an aspring artist named David (Bryan Greenberg) who meets the beautiful Rafi (Uma Thurman) while on a casual date with another girl. Taking a chance, he drops the girl and phones Rafi and soon the two begin an adorable but awkaward courtship after realizing that there's a fifteen year age gap between the lovers. Despite the numerical issue, the two prove romantically compatible as both are indeed (as the title denotes), in their sexual primes. However, things get complicated when Rafi learns that David's mother is none other than her cherished shrink (Meryl Streep as the perfect Jewish mother) who is dead-set on her son marrying a more age appropriate girl from his own religion. Funny and true, Prime accurately depicts the ups and downs of age differences in romance including the struggles of power, finances and maturity, although the film is bogged down slightly by a truly unlikely character-- a friend of David's who shoves pies in the faces of girls who have scorned him. This flaw aside, Prime makes for a great date movie (although maybe not one for those in a May/December romance) and it's filled with wonderfully inspired musical choices.

iTunes Soundtrack Selections from Prime

“Peach Trees” by Rufus Wainwright

“Fake French” by Le Tigre

“Shelter” by Ray LaMontagne

“Isn’t This a Lovely Day” by Stacey Kent

“Ghostwriter Remix” by RJD2

“In A Sentimental Mood” by Duke Ellington and John Coltrane