As a seasoned cinephile with decades of film-watching under my belt, I must say that Nathan Silver’s latest offering, “Between the Temples,” is a delightful and unexpected gem. The film masterfully blends the mundane with the surreal, creating characters that are at once relatable and utterly unique.
Originally published for the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024, this review is being shared again in conjunction with the theatrical release of Between the Temples.
Nathan Silver’s films are friendly and humorously quirky at first glance, yet they subtly reside slightly beyond the realm of everyday reality. Characters inhabiting worlds that appear and feel authentic engage in actions that border on absurdity. However, Silver portrays these individuals casually, viewing their peculiar interactions not as amusing oddities but as expressions of their delicate humanity. He acknowledges that we all display eccentric behavior from time to time.
In “Between the Temples,” director’s recent work, Jason Schwartzman portrays Benjamin Gottlieb, a cantor from upstate New York who lost his voice due to grief. One fateful night, he lies down in a darkened street, hoping for death, but a truck miraculously stops next to him. Ben signals the driver to proceed, urging him to “Keep going, please!” The following scene shows him hitchhiking on the truck to a local bar where he instigates a fight and gets beaten up. He awakens later in the gentle care of Carla O’Connor (Carol Kane), his former elementary school music teacher. It transpires that she desires to have her bat mitzvah, an occasion she missed as a child. The growing bond between Ben and Carla causes complications because his two mothers are keen on finding him a suitable Jewish partner, possibly even the rabbi’s daughter (Madeline Weinstein), who is also depicted as troubled.
Whenever a situation appears to be leading towards immense humiliation for one of them, the other steps in with a reassuring word or look that (nearly) salvages the situation.
For some time now, Silver has been consistently producing low-budget films, often starring his acquaintances. (It’s important to note that I have a few connections among his key associates, but I don’t personally know Silver.) This film, however, is his most prominent work so far and the first one to be screened at Sundance. The coupling of Schwartzman with Kane proves to be an astute choice: In this movie, two distinctive eccentrics from different epochs of American cinema unexpectedly cross paths. He speaks haltingly in bizarre places, while she possesses a captivating speech rhythm to complement her unique voice. (It’s worth mentioning that Kane initially made her mark as a dramatic actress, and she was quite exceptional.) Despite their contrasting energies, because they never quite fit into the mainstream, their chemistry propels the movie towards unanticipated emotional territories.
In Between the Temples, it may seem straightforward to foretell the storyline, but it’s much more challenging to guess the actions, dialogues, and behaviors of these characters. The distinction is crucial: Typically in films, actions reveal character psychology or propel the plot. However, Silver appears captivated by behavior for its own sake. It feels as though Silver would find endless fascination simply observing these people, disregarding any need for a storyline, conflict, or resolution.
In these intimate conversations between characters, the movie truly unfolds. When Carla shares with Ben her longing for a bat mitzvah and how she missed out on one as a child due to her parents being Communists (making her a “red diaper baby”), she has him repeat everything word for word. (“As for what I got for my 13th birthday, just guess – it was my first period!”) This could be seen as a spell or a secret, profoundly profane code that opens the door to their unique world. If repetition is a means of accessing the divine in religious texts and rituals, in the realm of “Between the Temples“, it serves as a bridge to other people.
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2024-08-28 21:54