‘Between The Temples’ Review
Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane Light Up the Screen Beautifully with their Warmth and Humour
If you’ve seen Jason Schwartzman in Asteroid City (or in Fantastic Mr. Fox or The Grand Budapest Hotel), you know he can deliver impeccable acting. He shows us that again in Between The Temples, the latest movie by director Nathan Silver (Uncertain Terms, Thirst Street) but this time with a totally different performance. One that is much more relatable, heartwarming, grounded and touching as his character, the cantor Ben Gottlieb, is looking for his faith, himself and what he wants in life. Whether or not you share Ben’s beliefs, you can imagine how he feels because we’ve all stood at different, essential crossroads.
And what crossroads Ben’s facing in this movie. After losing his ability to sing and to believe in his faith due to losing his wife, Ben is at his wit’s end. His caring mothers (played by the excellent but highly underused Caroline Aaron and Dolly De Leo) try to set him up with the beautiful, eligible bachelors of the town. Still, sadly, their actions yield no results. And neither does that “I’m looking for a wife for my son” aspect of this movie. While it sometimes results in awkward (in a good way!) scenes, it mainly results in lovely talent — including Madeline Weinstein — being sidelines to very minor supporting characters.