Prime (2005)

User Rating:

6.3/10   

Director:

Ben Younger

Writer (WGA):

Ben Younger (written by)

Release Date:

28 October 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

A therapeutic new comedy.

Plot:

A career driven professional from Manhattan is wooed by a young painter, who also happens to be the son of her psychoanalyst.

Plot Keywords:

Painter | Love | Therapist | Jew | New York City

Cast

Uma Thurman	...	Rafi Gardet
Meryl Streep	...	Lisa Metzger
Bryan Greenberg	...	David Bloomberg
Jon Abrahams	...	Morris
Adriana Biasi	...	Bay Ridge Blonde
David Younger	...	Brother #1
Palmer Brown	...	Brother #2
Zak Orth	...	Randall
Annie Parisse	...	Katherine
Aubrey Dollar	...	Michelle
Jerry Adler	...	Sam
Doris Belack	...	Blanche
Ato Essandoh	...	Damien
David Anzuelo	...	Bodega Counterman
Naomi Aborn	...	Dinah Bloomberg

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 on appeal for sexual content including dialogue, and for language.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Australia:M | UK:12A | Taiwan:R-12 | Singapore:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Ireland:15A | Germany:o.Al. | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Netherlands:AL | Switzerland:12 (canton of the Grisons) | Hong Kong:IIA | Malaysia:U | France:U | Finland:K-7 | Sweden:Btl | Brazil:12 | Iceland:L | Argentina:13 | Hungary:16 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:15 | Philippines:R-13 | USA:PG-13 (re-rating on appeal) | USA:R (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Prime Film Productions LLC

Trivia:

Sandra Bullock was originally cast as Rafi. Bullock wanted major script changes from writer/director Ben Younger but when he refused, she dropped out. Only two weeks before principal photography, Uma Thurman stepped in and replaced Bullock.

Goofs:

Continuity: Two obviously-different red Chrysler convertibles are used in the early sequence of David and Morris driving to Morris' ex-girlfriend's house. Close-up dialogue scenes filmed in the car show a large, conspicuous high-mount brake lamp on the car's trunk in the middle background, but exterior driving shots of the convertible show a different model, with no trunk light at all.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Lisa Metzger: Oh, I'm sorry. It's so hot in here, and I can't figure this stupid thing!

Movie Connections:

References Beaches (1988)

Soundtrack:

GROOVE 2000

Feels like real life on screen

I happened to catch the second half on HBO one night. I saw the entire movie a few nights later. I could easily watch it through again -- I was really drawn into the movie. I had to look it up on IMDb just because I was thinking about it so much.

There's a lot of negative reviews here, much more than the movie deserves. Movies are like people -- some you despise, many leave you indifferent, and some just really *click*. My roommate came back from "Saw III" hyper and proclaiming it the "BEST movie EVER!!!" -- I can guarantee you he wouldn't care for this. "Prime" also doesn't have any of the typical emotional manipulations found in your average rom-com. It makes do with much subtler if still dramatic material. For example: the meeting between Rafi and David is low-key, slightly awkward, nothing like, say, the Ferris wheel scene in "The Notebook". Ryan Gosling threatening suicide to get a date is certainly entertaining, but it also leaves me slightly detached, too aware this is a story for my viewing pleasure.

"Prime" is the anti-"Grease". There's nothing STYLIZED about it; no fairy-tale ending. If you can do with such accoutrements you'll be sucked in, especially if you can relate to the very upper-middle-class New York viewpoint that permeates it. Another reviewer was quite insightful in comparing it to "Annie Hall".

As for the relentless disparagement of Bryan Greenberg in the male lead: you've got to be kidding me!!!! He doesn't play the role the way, say, a young Al Pacino would play it. His persona is understated, relaxed almost to the point of passivity, slightly unsure, sarcastic and naive and vulnerable all at once. Completely believable as a 23-year-old who would appeal to and be attracted to a 37-yr-old divorcée. A more typical male lead his age wouldn't be dating Uma Thurman, he'd be charming Natalie Portman or Jessica Alba. Take the scene where he's trying to connect with the stoic doorman -- I totally cracked up and at the same time couldn't help but admire how true-to-life it felt. Everything about that scene bespoke an upper-middle-class 20-something living with his grandparents and lacking direction.

Not to mention that the intimacy between Rafi and David felt so natural that I felt convinced that Uma and Bryan had something off-screen during filming. The way they looked at each other, shared each other's space... the lust didn't seem acted, I'll put it that way.

To Ben Younger: despite all the people out there who don't get it, there are some of us who do. You really did an amazing job, and I doubt I'll ever forget "Bubbe" knocking herself with that frying pan... Lol.