August 22, 2024
FILM: BETWEEN THE TEMPLES
DIRECTED BY: NATHAN SILVER
STARRING: JASON SCHWARTZMAN, CAROL KANE, DOLLY DELEON
RATING: 2 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
It’s been many years since we first saw Jason Schwartzman on screen in Wes Anderson’s Rushmore (1998). Since then he has grown into a variety of roles that regularly suggest a youthfulness radiating through the aimlessness and floppy hair of some of his characters. So, it comes a bit surprising to see him in a film that clearly suggests he has reached middle aged and has already had a lifetime of struggles and disappointments. That is, in part, where we see the sad and sullen actor as Ben Gottlieb in Nathan Silver’s film Between The Temples. The character is a cantor who prepares young people for their Bat Mitzvah. However, he’s at a depressed point in his life having lost his wife many months earlier. Out of nowhere his former childhood music teacher turns up wanting to attend his class to study for her own Bat Mitzvah in her early 70s.
The teacher is played by Oscar nominated and Emmy winning actress Carol Kane (Hester Street, Annie Hall, Taxi) who still possesses a quirky and youthful energy herself. What develops is a strange and strong relationship between the characters that in some ways recalls Harold and Maude. Of course, Schwartzman is into his 40s so the age difference isn’t quite as extreme but still the relationship is significant whether romantic or not. Ben is currently living with his two mothers (played by Caroline Aaron and Dolly De Leon) in a basement that is entered upon by a crying hinged door. Clearly, Ben needs something to move his life forward and Kane as Carla seems to be the inspiration.
This set-up is original enough but the execution is quirky and full of questionable choices. Firstly, the production seems to be shot on film which in and of itself is not a bad thing for it gives the film a 1970s vibe which is appropriate for a dialogue and character driven story. Yet there are a number of curious cuts, moving cameras, freeze frames, and close-ups that seem to come out of nowhere. These techniques attempt to create an almost French New Wave aesthetic but the choices seem a bit random. The tone of the film varies between drama and comedy yet when fast motion is suddenly employed it seems out of place as if Silver wants this to be a screwball comedy. The problem is that much of the film isn’t that funny. In fact, the tone is all over the place from start to finish.
What ultimately saves the film is a dinner scene that brings all of the characters together in a fast moving discussion that rivals key scenes found in everything from Downton Abbey to The Bear. Is it enough to recommend the film? Well, this is ultimately a story about how love can transcend age and religious dogma. Much of the film feels fairly cold and hard to grab onto but it is the relationship between Ben and Carla that grounds the film. It’s too bad there isn’t more of a concise storyline to go along with it though.
Between the Temples premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. It opens in theaters this week.
FILM: BETWEEN THE TEMPLES
DIRECTED BY: NATHAN SILVER
STARRING: JASON SCHWARTZMAN, CAROL KANE, DOLLY DELEON
RATING: 2 ½ out of 4 stars
By Dan Pal
It’s been many years since we first saw Jason Schwartzman on screen in Wes Anderson’s Rushmore (1998). Since then he has grown into a variety of roles that regularly suggest a youthfulness radiating through the aimlessness and floppy hair of some of his characters. So, it comes a bit surprising to see him in a film that clearly suggests he has reached middle aged and has already had a lifetime of struggles and disappointments. That is, in part, where we see the sad and sullen actor as Ben Gottlieb in Nathan Silver’s film Between The Temples. The character is a cantor who prepares young people for their Bat Mitzvah. However, he’s at a depressed point in his life having lost his wife many months earlier. Out of nowhere his former childhood music teacher turns up wanting to attend his class to study for her own Bat Mitzvah in her early 70s.
The teacher is played by Oscar nominated and Emmy winning actress Carol Kane (Hester Street, Annie Hall, Taxi) who still possesses a quirky and youthful energy herself. What develops is a strange and strong relationship between the characters that in some ways recalls Harold and Maude. Of course, Schwartzman is into his 40s so the age difference isn’t quite as extreme but still the relationship is significant whether romantic or not. Ben is currently living with his two mothers (played by Caroline Aaron and Dolly De Leon) in a basement that is entered upon by a crying hinged door. Clearly, Ben needs something to move his life forward and Kane as Carla seems to be the inspiration.
This set-up is original enough but the execution is quirky and full of questionable choices. Firstly, the production seems to be shot on film which in and of itself is not a bad thing for it gives the film a 1970s vibe which is appropriate for a dialogue and character driven story. Yet there are a number of curious cuts, moving cameras, freeze frames, and close-ups that seem to come out of nowhere. These techniques attempt to create an almost French New Wave aesthetic but the choices seem a bit random. The tone of the film varies between drama and comedy yet when fast motion is suddenly employed it seems out of place as if Silver wants this to be a screwball comedy. The problem is that much of the film isn’t that funny. In fact, the tone is all over the place from start to finish.
What ultimately saves the film is a dinner scene that brings all of the characters together in a fast moving discussion that rivals key scenes found in everything from Downton Abbey to The Bear. Is it enough to recommend the film? Well, this is ultimately a story about how love can transcend age and religious dogma. Much of the film feels fairly cold and hard to grab onto but it is the relationship between Ben and Carla that grounds the film. It’s too bad there isn’t more of a concise storyline to go along with it though.
Between the Temples premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. It opens in theaters this week.