Prime (2005)

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Lisa Metzger	Meryl Streep
Rafi Gardet	Uma Thurman
David Bloomberg	Bryan Greenberg	½
Morris	Jon Abrahams	½

Review

Young Ben Younger wants so much to be a serious but humorous director of a light but layered romantic comedy. Of course, people smell that the throne inhabited by Woody Allen could soon be available. And with Prime, Younger submits his application. I suspect though, that he won't be summoned to the final interview.

With help from the wonderful Meryl Streep (who have passages here in which she's on fire), Prime stays interesting for about 45 minutes. The entanglement we are presented is definitely both charming and funny, and particularly Streep and Thurman create some fine scenes together. Unfortunately, as soon as we get past that initial exuberance, Prime falls flat as a thoroughly unimpressive, over-plotted romantic comedy that really is neither romantic or comedic. The biggest problem is that there's no spark between Thurman and Bryan Greenberg (whose acting is completely without edge and confidence, by the way). That makes Younger's uninspired script even more lacklustre. Jon Abrahams is being thrown into it from time to time, when the need for some relief is precarious, but the release is short-lived. Instead we're left soaked in Younger's endless babble about age difference (enough already, they're both grown-ups) and religious differences (makes the Israel/Palestine conflict seem bleak, doesn't it?). On the bright side: nice touch with the frying pan and with the gentle closure.