By John Corrado

Between the Temples, the latest work from director and co-writer Nathan Silver, is a sort of indie screwball comedy that reinvents that old trope of finding yourself through an unconventional relationship.

The two figures at the centre of it are Ben Gottlieb (Jason Schwarzman), a cantor at his synagogue who has found himself losing his voice, and Carla O’Connor (Carol Kane), his former elementary school music teacher who has a chance encounter with him in a bar.

The two begin to form a bond when Carla comes back to him with a strange request; she would like to finally make her Bat Mitzvah, and wants her former pupil Ben to help her prepare. Ben is still grieving the loss of his wife, which doesn’t stop his two mothers Meira (Caroline Aaron) and Judith (a scene-stealing Dolly De Leon), who are big donors to the temple, trying to set him up on dates. But it’s Carla and her lust for life that starts to chip away at him.

The film unfolds through the faded, home video cinematography of Sean Price Williams, who shoots it on 16mm, his camera finding moments of intimacy through shaky closeups. Silver is going for a scrappy, mumblecore-esque feel, allowing many of the scenes between Schwartzman and Kane to unfold in a loose, almost hangout movie style.

The dynamic works because of the strong chemistry between the two lead actors. Schwartzman’s more soulful portrayal of Ben grounds this in being a sort of low-key dramedy about grief, while Kane relishes in the chance to light up the screen as Carla, in a performance that also allows for some pathos behind her famously kooky exterior. Madeline Weinstein brings her own comic energy to Gabby, the daughter of Rabbi Bruce (Robert Smigel), who tries to set her up with Ben.

The film itself flirts with being an offbeat “May-December” romance akin to Harold and Maude, but can struggle at times to find the right tone, with Silver going for a more off-kilter feel. It’s also a touch too long at 111 minutes, with the story occasionally struggling to maintain itself for nearly two hours. But Between the Temples still manages to offer a more sincere exploration of Jewish beliefs, and is built around a pair of fine performances.

Film Rating: ★★½ (out of 4)

Between the Temples opens exclusively in theatres in limited release on August 23rd, including at TIFF Lightbox in Toronto. It’s being distributed in Canada by Mongrel Media.