Between the Temples

Crafted with care and a distinct point of view, Between the Temples is the kind of film that bears rewatching just because you want to spend more time with its idiosyncratic rhythm and energy. Singing in its own key, there might not be a more authentic and purely entertaining film this year.

Schwartzman has been a lead before, but never quite like this.

A wealth of contrasting stimulation gives the film a singular and intimate atmosphere, in which scenes can last little eternities while still leaving you feeling as if you’re struggling to keep up with a stream of secrets and in-jokes.

A screwball comedy that never forgets a dramatic weight, Silver’s latest feature is a hilarious, touching, and acerbic tale of picking one’s self back up and not being afraid to pursue what is truly desired.

For all the characters’ misery and misfires, Between the Temples is a winsome journey. It’s a little weird, a little sweet and a lot of awkward – a testament not just to the Jewish tradition but the faith we can learn to have in each other.

Between the Temples emerges as a quirky and effective showcase for two actors known for playing oddball characters.

Silver's vision doesn't always work, sometimes feeling like a mishmash of ideas and tones that don't always go well together. But when the film focuses on this central relationship, Between the Temples finds a lovely sweet spot that makes it all sing.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

Many parts of Between the Temples are so naturalistic and well acted that they feel more like a documentary than a scripted film.

Jason Schwartzman plays a cantor who's lost his ability to sing. Carol Kane shows up to request a bat mitzvah at her extended age. She also happened to be his elementary school music teacher and their rekindled relationship becomes the focus of the film. Fortunately, their chemistry is solid, thanks primarily to Kane's continual charm, while Schwartzman handles the neurotic angle. Director Nathan Silver has shot much of the film in uncomfortable, sometimes wobbly close-ups, which gets in the way more than adds depth to their performances. Ultimately, the film is flawed, but the underlying affection between the leads and the sometimes amusing observations of Jewish traditions create an uneven but winsome romance

Had low expectations for this one. Based on the trailer I thought it was targeted to Jewish people and that most of the jokes would only be gotten if you attend synagogue. I was very wrong and greatly enjoyed this movie with genuine laugh out loud moments. I felt the cinematography copied The Holdovers for no real reason since it’s set in 2022. Overall a good movie and maybe an Oscar chance for Carol Kane here. She was fantastic. Jason Schwartzman was also great.

The burdens of rules, conventions and traditions can weigh heavily on us, especially when they’re not serving us, allowing us to be ourselves or taking much of the joy out of life. The impact can affect us in many ways, too, including emotionally, psychologically, spiritually, physically and socially. So it is for Benjamin Gottlieb (Jason Schwartzman), a disillusioned forty-something cantor/Bat Mitzvah instructor at a conservative synagogue north of New York. He’s experiencing a crisis of faith as a result of the rough year he’s recently undergone, having lost his wife and now facing the prospect of losing his voice (and his livelihood). He’s also had to move in with his two well-meaning but overbearing mothers (Caroline Aaron, Dolly De Leon), who perpetually try to fix him up with new romantic interests. His boss, Rabbi Bruce (Robert Smigel), has also tried playing matchmaker, trying to connect Ben with his aggressively randy daughter, Gabby (Madeline Weinstein). But these efforts only place even more pressure on him, pushing hm to the brink. Strangely enough, though, circumstances begin turning around when he has a chance encounter with his quirky retired grade school music teacher, Carla Kessler (Carol Kane). She’s anxious to become one of Ben’s Bat Mitzvah students, given that she was denied this rite of passage in her youth. He reluctantly begins instructing her, but he soon starts learning as much from her as she does from him, most notably how to let loose, be himself and enjoy life, traits that others look down upon him for when he breaks with expectations. Nevertheless, considering their respective mindsets, this relationship netween Ben and Carla proves to be exactly what they each need. Writer-director Nathan Silver’s latest feature provides us with a touching, irreverent look at how to live a life that’s both spiritually and secularly fulfilling in the face of oppressing outside influences, particularly when it comes to knowing when to follow and when to break the rules. The protagonist’s unconventional odyssey takes him – and viewers – down an array of unexpected paths, with lots of laughs and eccentric experiences. Unfortunately, there are times when the filmmaker takes matters a little too far, infusing the narrative with a few too many different storytelling approaches and filming styles, making the picture overall somewhat disjointed and incoherent. These inventive attempts at originality, while certainly commendable, tend to get in the way of yielding a cohesive storyline, regardless of the many chuckles they evoke. The duo of Schwartzman and Kane, backed by a fine ensemble of supporting players, valiantly endeavor to make the material work, sometimes successfully, sometimes futilely. The sentiments explored here are indeed noble, and the film’s commitment to an unanticipated approach to its subject matter is truly laudable, but the creators seriously should have reined themselves in more than they have here. Doing so would have made for a better movie, not to mention greater clarity on an important life lesson from which we could all stand to benefit.