Between the Temples

Between the Temples
Stars: Jason Schwartzman, Carol Kane, Caroline Aaron, Robert Smigel, Madeline Weinstein, Matthew Shear, Dolly de Leon and Sheila Wise
Director: Nathan Silver
Scriptwriters: C, Mason Wells and Nathan Silver
Cinematography: Sean Price Williams
Fusion Entertainment/Sony Pictures Classics
Rating: NR but could be a strong PG 13
Running Length: 111 Minutes

“Between the Temples” title can have two meanings. One is religious, referring to a building, and the other is in the mind. This film, directed by Nathan Silver, and co-written with C. Mason Wells, doesn’t seem to know where it is going. Not only can the script be confusing, but the photography is uneven , even bouncy, especially in the dinner party scene. Star Jason Schwartzman, as Ben, seems equally confused.

As the story goes, Ben (Schwartzman) is a middle-age Cantor who lost his wife a year ago in a disastrous fall. She was a book author. A year later, Ben is still in mourning, and as a result, has lost his voice as a Cantor. His friend, the Rabbi (Robert Smigel) covers for him during services, and wonders how to help Ben, as do Ben’s two mothers. Meira and Judith. You can see this is not the usual family. In the meantime, Ben accidentally meets his former music teacher of 20 years ago, Carla (played by Carol Kane.) She has always wanted a Bat-Mitzvah, which a girl of the Jewish religion has when she is 12-13 years old. It takes a year or more of training to do this in the Hebrew language, but Carla is willing to work at it, even at her age. Thus, begins the friendship between Ben and Carla, and in the meantime, people are noticing the age difference and try to fix Ben up with a woman more his age.
This should all make sense, but as filmed, the actors don’t seem to know their cues and the photography is amateurish. The above-mentioned dinner scene, moves from person to person as they converse and results in a merry-go-round of light, and talk that is hard to decipher. Apparently, people are trying to pull Ben and Carla apart as a couple, but what this results in, is a puzzling last third of the film, More than one actor seems to be waiting for their cue. Jason Schwartzman speaks a beat behind everyone else in some scenes, and carries the same facial express throughout. Carol Kane is hesitant as Carla the retired music teacher, and her speech is soft at times. This doesn’t blend with everyone else’s dialogue.

“Between the Temples” is a disappointment and I was expecting more. This is a work in progress and may be ready in a year or so..

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Copyright 2024 Marie Asner