Between the Temples

Ben Gottlieb (Jason Schwartzman) is a cantor who’s lost his voice, his faith, and his purpose following the sudden death of his novelist wife. His obtuse rabbi (Robert Smigel), his doting mother (Caroline Aaron) and his overeager stepmother (Dolly de Leon) are all very ready for him to snap out of it, maybe date a little, and re-engage with his community. But Ben, beset on all sides by miseries, large and small, is not convinced that his mothers’ sneak-attack blind dates (while they hover nearby) is the way forward. With a 1970s aesthetic and screwball comedy tone, Between the Temples is a sharply witty and heartwarming portrait of suffering, faith, and relationships, starring Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane, directed by Nathan Silver.