BETWEEN THE TEMPLES

(director/writer: Nathan Silver; screenwriter: C. Mason Wells; cinematographer: Sean Price Williams; editor: John Magary; cast: Jason Schwartzman (Ben Gottlieb), Carol Kane (Carla Kessler), Dolly De Leon  (Judith Gottlieb), Caroline Aaron (Meira Gottlieb), Robert Smigel (Rabbi Bruce), Madeline Weinstein (Gabby/Ruth), Matthew Shear (Nat); Runtime: 111; MPAA Rating: R; producers: Tim Headington, Taylor Hess, Nate Kamiya, Adam Kersh, Theresa Steele Page; Fusion Entertainment/Sony Picture Classics; 2024)

“How Ben regains his faith, overcomes his suicidal tendencies, deals with the different women in his life, and becomes a mensch, makes for an amusing and poignant film.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

A quirky character-driven comedy that’s directed by Nathan Silver (“The Great Pretender”/ “Thirst Street”) and co-written by him and C. Mason Wells. The micro-budgeted film is set in a world dominated by a Conservative Jewish religious tradition.

The despondent forty-something schlep, Ben Gottlieb (Jason Schwartzman), is the widowed cantor at an upstate NY synagogue, filled with grief over the accidental death of his alcoholic novelist wife Ruth (Madeline Weinstein), and is also suffering because he lost his singing voice and his belief in his Jewish faith.

Carla Kessler (Carol Kane) is his former grade school music teacher, now a widower who he by chance meets in a bar. When learning he’s a cantor, wants to be his bat mitzvah student. She has no recollection of him as her former pupil.

Despite a wide age gap (she’s as old as his mother), they begin a zesty relationship that defies reason, with him smitten with her.

It’s a funny film only slightly weakened by a script with contrivances.

Cantor Ben lives at home with his two overbearing moms, his doting birth mother Meira (Caroline Aaron) and her partner Judith (Dolly De Leon), an even more pushy realtor. They both want him to start dating and move out.

The temple’s Rabbi Bruce (Robert Smigel) likes Ben, and introduces him to his daughter Gabby (Madeline Weinstein), who resembles his deceased wife.

How Ben regains his faith, overcomes his suicidal tendencies, deals with the different women in his life, and becomes a mensch, makes for an amusing and poignant film.

It played at the Sundance Film Festival.

REVIEWED ON 8/24/2024  GRADE: B+
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