Between the Temples
Between The Temples is a new film starring Jason Schwartzman. Schwartzman plays a Jewish Cantor who is struggling through life after his wife died. He becomes reunited with his grade school music teacher and the film takes off from there. This is a film that is reminiscent of some of Schwartzman’s work on Wes Anderson films. It’s not meant to be a laugh out loud comedy, but it certainly has it’s hilarious moments. Schwartzman’s moms in the film are played by Dolly De Leon and Caroline Aaron and they both nail their parts, especially De Leon. She plays a filipino who converted to judaism and is an absolute riot. The seriousness of her character coupled with the ridiculous things she says make for some excellent moments. And let’s not forget Robert Smigel who played Rabbi Bruce. There is a golf scene where he is blatantly cheating and he constantly swears. Absolutely classic moments. All of the support cast really nailed their performances.
The film was also filmed in a gritty perspective that made it feel very retro. While it seams to take place in the modern time, it has the feel of a film from the 70s. It’s also a film that felt very intimate in the way it was filmed. There were extreme closeups and interesting camera angels that made the film feel authentic. This is a film that isn’t for everyone, but for those that are into the dark comedies you won’t want to miss this one.
Overall 7 out of 10.
