Sony Classics debuted the official trailer for Between the Temples, the oddball comedy independent film starring Jason Schwartzman, Carol Kane, Dolly de Leon, Caroline Aaron, Robert Smigel and Madeline Weinstein
Release Date
Directed by Nathan Silver, Between the Temples world premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival and will open in theaters on August 23, 2024.
Synopsis
A cantor (Jason Schwartzman) in a crisis of faith finds his world turned upside down when his grade school music teacher (Carol Kane) re-enters his life as his new adult Bat Mitzvah student.
Reviews
BFI Sight and Sound review called the film a ‘strange, sweet natured comedy’ writing, “The bones of its plot have the makings of trite weepie. Sad Ben is a cantor at his local upstate New York synagogue, but since the death of his alcoholic novelist wife a year ago, he can’t bring himself to sing. Aside from moms Meira (Caroline Aaron) and Judith (Dolly de Leon) boss Rabbi Bruce (Robert Smigel) is supportive and kind towards Ben, even if his primary motivation is acquiring hefty donations for his temple.”
It continued, “Fortunes change for Ben when, after being punched in face for mouthing off in a bar, he bumps into Carla (Carol Kane), his free-spirited primary school music teacher. When Carla insists Ben teaches her readings from the Torah so she can attain the bat mitzvah denied her 60 years previously (because her parents were Russian communists) an unlikely friendship begins to blossom. Meanwhile Rabbi Bruce aims to set Ben up with actress daughter Gabby (Madeline Weinstein), which gives the film the air of a screwball rom com set in the world of Hebrew readings and rituals.”
Paste Magazine review gave the film a score of 8.0, writing, “Between the Temples looks fantastic, and it never stops looking fantastic in new ways, with fun flourishes of style juicing up every 16mm sequence: We zero in on these two lives through iris shots and reflections, slow down with them in endless close-ups, tear around alongside them like Benny Hill, get more in their heads with intense zooms, jump cuts, split diopters and split screens—Between the Temples has it all.”
Official Trailer
Watch the official trailer for Between the Temples.