Between the Temples
Summary
Jason Schwartzmanand Carol Kane make the perfect unmated couple in theater director Nathan Silver’sBetween the Temples , an off - kilter funniness about find religion — in organized religion , other people , and the ways living will give us gifts that may not look that way in the first home . Schwartzman stars as Ben Gottlieb , a cantor at a local synagogue whose voice is as wonky as his beliefs . Ben ’s wife has recently perish and there are reminder of her everywhere in the snow-covered upstate New York Ithiel Town where he live with his mothers ( an excellent coupling of Caroline Aaron and Dolly de Leon ) .
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It ’s about as uncheerful as it can be — so depressing , in fact , that Ben opt to lie down down in dealings in the hopes of getting melt down over rather than return home . A prospect meet with his former grade school music instructor Carla go Ben on a journey of self - discovery all over again . Carla avail Ben home from the saloon one nighttime and then come along in his Bat Mitzvah class , insistent that she finally kick the bucket through the ritual usually reserved for 12 or 13 - year - old . Naturally , Ben is initially reluctant , but Carla push him to see thing differently .
Jason Schwartzman & Carol Kane Give Between The Temples Its Offbeat Heart
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Cast
From writer - director Nathan Silver come Between the Temples , a drollery film released in 2024 star Carol Kane and Jason Schwartzman . Schwartzman star as a precentor currently having a crisis of religious belief - and his cosmos experiences further turbulence when his former grade school medicine teacher becomes his novel scholarly person .
Kane , superb as always , sinks her teeth into the role of Carla . She ’s an eccentric creative person , so far removed from Ben ’s high - strung demeanor . For plenty of its runtime , Between the Templesplays a will - they - or - won’t - they biz as the relationship between Ben and Carla develops . Other people in their lives are clear put off by it — Carla ’s son is unnerved by the psychoneurotic Modern man in her life and Ben ’s mothers are constantly trying to set him up with Gabby ( Madeline Weinstein ) , the rabbi ’s daughter , even as they get down to notice his growing connexion with his bookman .
Ben and Carla see each other in a way that no one else does , and it ’s a tender kind of tending that both Schwartzman and Kane show with beautiful subtlety .
Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane in Between the Temples.
All that falls to the wayside when Ben and Carla are together , though . Carla has been disregard because of her eccentricities — it ’s clear in the room her son oppose to the news of her Bat Mitzvah . Ben ’s mothers are disconnected , too , ineffective to understand the deeper stratum of grief that has enveloped their son . Ben and Carla see each other in a direction that no one else does , and it ’s a cranky kind of care that both Schwartzman and Kane show with beautiful niceness .
Between The Temples Finds Beauty In The Quiet Moments (Except For One Standout Scene)
Between the Templesisn’t a showy film . Even in its moment of literal hilarity and absurdity — from a handjob in a cemetery to a recur sonic jape that is brilliantly paid off — the pic maintains a firm fondness that crescendo in a troubled dinner party vista that do as a centerpiece of sorts . It ’s almost a personification of what could be going on inside Ben ’s head , a raucous symphony of grief , dearest , faith , and the various voices overstretch him in dissimilar directions .
finally , Ben arrive at a moment of uncloudedness that startles everyone , peculiarly Carla . It ’s a perfect culmination of the film ’s cringe comedy and aching sincerity . It also prove once again that Schwartzman is having a stellar running that began last year withAsteroid City . There ’s a part of Ben that makes you sense sorry for him , specially as the film begins , but asBetween the Templesreveals more layers to him , Schwartzman deftly uncover something much deeper . There ’s grief there , but there ’s also a profound ability to love without disgrace and that is perhaps the most revelatory thing of all .
Between the Templespremiered at the 2024Sundance Film Festivalin the US Dramatic Competition surgical incision .
From writer-director Nathan Silver comes Between the Temples, a comedy film released in 2024 starring Carol Kane and Jason Schwartzman. Schwartzman stars as a cantor currently having a crisis of faith - and his world experiences further turbulence when his former grade school music teacher becomes his new student.
