Between the Temples review: Bites more than it can chew

Directed by Nathan Silver, Between the Temples is an ambitious comedy that ends up failing more often than not.

Not only is this line an accurate description of Ben – at least, according to Ben himself – but it also captures the unique sense of humour, often self-deprecating and at times too harsh towards himself, that characterises the protagonist.

Between the Temples follows Ben, a canton who is going through a very personal crisis both in his faith – and, therefore, job – and in his personal life. Ben is at a loss and doesn’t know what to do in his life until he meets Carla O’Connor (Carol Kane, of Hester Street), his former music teacher. A further encounter with Carla reveals her intention to become Ben’s new adult student in order to take her bat mitzvah with his help. At the same time, we see Ben struggle in his personal life as well now that he has moved back with his mothers, Meira (Caroline Aaron) and Judith Gottlieb (Dolly de Leon, of Triangle of Sadness), who are trying to set him up with Gabby (Madeline Weinsten), the daughter of the Rabbi (Robert Smigel).

In an otherwise mediocre film, the acting is truly the saving grace of Between the Temples. Dolly de Leon is especially impressive and always a joy to watch on screen, with her incredibly comedic timing and powerful acting performance. Jason Schwartzman also delivers a particularly strong performance, especially thanks to his excellent delivery on the jokes. While the comedic aspect of the film may be one of its strongest elements , it is also quick to fail at times as I often felt like some of the jokes were too overplayed or needed more breathing time to land with the audience properly.  

The themes of Between the Temples could have also been interesting to explore, especially when the film touches on the different religious traditions and the matter of faith, which is key to its entire plot. However, it constantly feels like the movie isn’t exploring them enough, as it always relies too heavily on its jokes rather than on the potentially powerful themes it could have looked at instead. The movie also focuses too much on its romantic plotline which feels forced, unnecessary, and ultimately takes time away from the main plot line. I do have to admit that at least everything comes together in one of the final scenes when all the main characters meet for Saturday dinner.

This is one of the best-executed scenes of the entire movie, with overlapping voices that easily create the chaotic energy of such events, but is the payoff in the third act of the movie enough to watch the entirety of it? Probably not, especially when we consider the visual aspect of Between the Temples. The cinematography feels particularly flat, with no actual interesting shots in the entirety of the film and with atrocious lighting that adds little to no depth to the film. Overall, I increasingly felt that, with its messy and confused directing style, this movie kept forgetting that films are also – if not prominently – a visual medium.

I really wanted to like Between the Temples. Before watching it, I was taken by its fascinating premise that could have been a great set-up for a possibly very successful comedy. Despite the initial negative reviews, I remained hopeful, especially given the cast of the film, including Dolly de Leon who has recently become one of my favourite comedic performers. However, the film ended up not delivering on any of this, creating a final product with a mismatched tone and not an entirely clear theme or character arc.

Between the Temples will be released in select UK & Irish cinemas and in US theaters on August 23, 2024. Read our reviews of the Dolly De Leon-starring Triangle of Sadness, Ghostlight, Jackpot!, and Family Therapy!