In the comedy “Between the Temples,” we are introduced to Cantor Ben Gottlieb, played by Jason Schwartzman. The story opens with Ben making a return to his congregation at the Sinai Synagogue, after months of absence. His comeback, however, is anything but triumphant. Unable to do more than clear his throat and make a few odd noises, he fails to impress his congregation.
Ben’s life had taken a turn for the worse after the death of his wife. He lost his voice, suffered a crisis of faith, and moved back in with his mother. His mother and he can only watch in disbelief as he botches his performance and subsequently storms out of the church.
Visibly upset, Ben wanders through his town in upstate New York. He ends up in a bar where after a few beers, he ends up on the floor after an altercation with another patron. An older woman, with curly blonde hair, helps him up. This incident marks the beginning of a new chapter in Ben’s life, as Nathan Silver’s comedy “Between the Temples” soon unfolds.
The woman who helps Ben is Carla, played by Carol Kane. She is Ben’s childhood music teacher who has since retired. Carla manages to persuade Ben to become her bat mitzvah student. This leads to him teaching her Torah lessons, and in return, she helps him regain his voice.
What follows is a unique rapprochement, staged with flair and a touch of grotesque humor by Silver. Ben’s Jewish background plays a significant role in the story, particularly with characters like Rabbi Bruce, played by Robert Smigel, who is keen to set Ben up with his daughter and shows unexpected flexibility with the Bat Mitzvah rules when a significant donation is mentioned.
Director Nathan Silver, who also co-wrote the screenplay with C. Mason Wells, skillfully crafts scenes of two family dinners going hilariously wrong. The film, which premiered at Sundance, is one of the funniest and warmest offerings at the Berlinale this year.
