Between the Temples

Funny, awkward and unpredictable, Between the Temples is an eccentric look into age-gap relationships and navigating life after tragedy. Starring Jason Schwartzman, Carol Kane, Madeline Weinstein, Caroline Aaron and Dolly de Leon, Nathan Silver’s hilarious feature follows 40-year-old cantor Ben Gottlieb as he slowly reintegrates back into society after the passing of his wife. Enter Carla, formerly known to Ben as Mrs O’Connor – his grade school music teacher – hoping to have her Bat Mitzvah, something she missed out on as a child. As she and Ben begin the lessons, they form an intimate bond based on their mutual love of music.

Between the Temples may be comedic and often ludicrous, but there’s a genuine heart to the film, specifically on the themes of religion and questioning faith. Ben has his fair share of religious confusion and tension, evidenced by his inability to sing after the death of his alcoholic novelist wife. It’s this obstacle he face that draws him to Carla, as she stands as a reminder of the younger version of himself and the plain and simple happiness he once enjoyed as a child whenever he performed. There’s also commentary here in regards to overbearing parents, and how, no matter how old a person is, their parents will still fuss over and be concerned about them. Aaron and De Leon are in perfect contrast, with Aaron taking on the role of Meira, the overly supportive and indulgent mother against De Leon’s Judith who takes on a more assertive, controlling and, at times. over-the-top parental figure. Their antics in helping out Ben are the main cause of hilarity throughout the picture.

Silver handles the budding relationship between Ben and Carla with a certain delicacy. There’s a constant push and pull from both characters, with the red herring of Weinstein’s Gabi adding an extra layer of tension and unpredictability to the script. It’s also interesting to see the reversal of their initial dynamic as teacher and student – with Ben now being the teacher – and how that affects everyone else’s perception of them, from Judith claiming that Carla groomed Ben, to the heavy disapproval of Carla’s son and his family who are wary of Ben’s intentions. Schwartzman and Kane, individually, are fantastic comedic actors, and together they’re a force to be reckoned with when it comes to eliciting laughter from the audience. Their romantic chemistry is subpar, but the excellent execution in the script makes it work.

Production-wise, the film focuses a lot on this idea of judgement, whether it’s from the self, outsider’s perspectives or religious figures. It achieves this through various close-up shots of background characters, zeroing in on their expressions to highlight their disgust and amusement of Ben and Carla. This same effect is also used on statues of religious figures, like Jesus and Mary. As for Ben, his identity crisis is emphasised by the constant use of reflective and transparent surfaces, from windows and mirrors to TV screens. This imagery gives off the impression that there are parts of Ben that are fragmented and incomplete, and as he and Carla grow closer, he’s slowly piecing back those broken parts of himself together.

Overall, Between the Temples is a thought-provoking movie that examines people’s relationship with their faith when their life takes a downturn, and the role people around them play in rebuilding that life back up. It’s wholesome, hilarious, and full of charming, colourful characters and everyday misadventures.

Mae Trumata

Between the Temples is released nationwide on 23^rd August 2024.

Watch the trailer for Between the Temples here: