With this time of year being so freezing and each day giving such little sunlight, it's easy to slide into a hibernating lifestyle, spend all our personal time alone at home, and feel continually isolated and forlorn. That's why we all need friends and loved ones to help us along this time of year to remind us we're loved. And that's a big part of the film I watched recently called, "Between the Temples."
Established Hollywood nerd Jason Schwartzman ("Quiz Lady," 2023) plays a Jewish religious official working in a synagogue in a small town outside New York City. His crisis of faith and crisis of self-esteem make him a depressed and exhausted man sleeping in the basement of his mom's house. (Or at least trying to sleep.) But his life gets a strange surprise when he crosses paths with his elementary school music teacher who wants to start lessons for her bat mitzvah.
This retired school teacher is played by Oscar nominated actress Carol Kane ("Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," 2015-2019), and her chemistry with Jason Schwartzman is perfect. Their growing friendship creates a comedy of opposites; her open-hearted whimsy shaking up his high-strung devotion to rules. Because of these clear characterizations, their naturalistic dialogue, and the hilariously awkward humor, "Between the Temples" reminds me of the unorthodox comedy, "Harold and Maude" (1971).
Multiple times while watching this one, I thought to myself, "Why isn't this film getting more attention from critics listing their favorites of 2024? Why isn't this getting more nominations during the current award season?" Not many contemporary comedies manage to be both believably funny and genuinely touching (I'm looking at you, "Unfrosted" and "Hit Man"), but "Between the Temples" hits the balance very well, and that's why I enjoyed watching it so much.
You know that feeling of lightness and joy you get after watching a film or TV episode that helps you feel better? That's exactly what happened with me after watching this. All the actors contribute successfully to the off-beat energy set against the environment of Jewish culture. So many line deliveries from these actors are rich with emotional subtext, coloring specific conversations with annoyance, grief, or desire.
Because of the Jewish setting and the overtly Jewish characters, "Between the Temples" is also similar to the more recent films, "To Dust" (2018) and "Shiva Baby" (2020) all of which show human, messy lives trying to build loving relationships while also maintaining their religious faith.
A busy, home-cooked dinner scene is near the end of this film, and this scene had me on the edge of my seat. As the wine and green beans start flowing, so do the confessions, confrontations, and hurt feelings, creating a wildly entertaining mixture of tension, humor, and honesty. Screenwriters Nathan Silver and C. Mason Wells (who worked together on the independent comedy "Thirst Street" from 2017) have created such realistic, yet magical, dialogue. I can't wait to see what they do together next.
"Between the Temples" first premiered at the Sundance Festival (in Utah) in 2024 and then had a limited release in movie theaters in August. Thank you to Netflix for releasing this film in December. It will help you applaud the different kinds of love, even the unexpected ones.