Between the Temples Shares Comfort From an Unlikely Source

Comfort can sometimes come from an unlikely source. It can bring us close to some of the most unlikely people. After breaking through all the noise that comes with everyday life, there is something beautiful about finding a person who can see you and bring solace to the noise. Nathan Silver’s Between the Temple is a delightful story about two oddball people who form an interesting bond with each other. It is a tale that is sometimes erratic and silly but heart-warming as the two find comfort and purpose within each other.

Between the Temples follow Jason Schwartzman (Asteroid City) who plays Ben Gottlieb, a local cantor at an upstate New York Temple. Ben is a depressed forty-year-old man who is struggling to move on from the passing of his wife. Since his wife’s death, Ben has struggled to find his voice again and sing without choking up.

While sitting in a bar alone, he runs into his elementary school music teacher, Carla Kessler who is played by Carol Kane (Migration). Carla has recently retired and searching for a purpose to fill her new free time. After a night of some short conversation, Carla decides that she will sign up for Ben’s bat mitzvah class. Hesitant at first, Ben decides to take her on as a student as she makes it clear how devoted she is. As they begin holding each lesson, their bond grows closer. Ben’s grief is always looming. However, he finds a sense of purpose when with Carol.

For the entirety of the film from Silver, the director of The Great Pretender and Thirst Street, you are questioned with what is the nature of their relationship. There is a lot left up to the audience to decide about the relationship between Ben and Carla. Between the Temples is structured similarly to a rom-com where you have a Meet-Cute moment that blossoms into a friendship, where they eventually hit a speed bump but ultimately reunite.

There is a lot of noise that constantly surrounds both Carla and Ben, yet it is all silenced when they are together. The two share a deep love and admiration for each other. An unlikely pairing due to the age gap, they share similar life experiences. Carla was a music teacher and Ben was a Cantor who remembered how to sing. They understand each other’s grief. Carla’s husband passed away some time ago whereas Ben is still grieving. The two find something in each other that has been missing for some time.

Both Schwartzman and Kane give delicious performances in Between the Temples. Their performances in this film may be one of the most memorable of the year. Schwartzman and Kane portray very human experiences with a lot of tenderness and honesty. Kane is hilarious as Carla Kessler. Schwartzman gives everything you’d expect and more than Ben Gottlieb. Schwartzman manages to portray Ben’s weary depression, widowed grief with a blank affect yet not overplaying it too much.

Between the Temples is centered around a beautiful relationship between Bena and Carol, yet it is nothing short of anxiety-inducing. The creeping anxiety that builds throughout the entirety of its runtime is provided by the great performances from its supporting cast. Dolly De Leon (Triangle of Sadness) and Caroline Aaron (Theater Camp) play Ben’s two mothers. They are adamant about getting him back into the dating scene again. He also forms a kinship with his Rabbi’s daughter, Gabby (Madeline Weinstein of Beach Rats). His focus is completely scatterbrained for he wants to develop his relationship with Gabby, yet finds comfort with Carla.

During a climactic dinner sequence, everyone is invited to the dinner table. The dialogue begins to overlap and pile on top of itself. The camera swings around from one guest to the next keeping up with the dinner conversations. It is a heart-pounding scene where anything could happen and creates the most chaotic and high-stress dining experiences to watch play out.

Between the Temples at its core is a story about two people who come together and share a special bond, regardless of what other people think. The joy of this film is outside of its building anxiety, where it is more on two odd-ball inadequate characters coming together. They may not completely fix each other, but they try. To have someone that cares enough to try is just enough to sometimes keep you to keep pushing on.