"Cantor Ben" (Jason Schwartzman) has recently become a widower and is struggling to get on with his job working for Rabbi "Bruce" (Robert Smigel) at the Sinai Synagogue. He has one too many chocolate-laced "Mudslingers" in a bar one evening and that leads to an altercation that leads to a reunion with "Carla" (Carol Kane). Though neither recall immediately, it transpires that she used to be his childhood music teacher. Next thing we know, she has turned up at his synagogue where she declares her Jewish heritage and that she wishes to have her Bat Mitzvah. I didn't know that took over year to study and prepare for, and neither did she - but after a bit of convincing, he is cajoled into preparing her and the story picks up the pace as, predictably but not in a predictable fashion, the two start to bond. "Ben" lives with his two mothers - "Judith" (Dolly De Leon) and "Meira" (Caroline Aaron) who are keen on him settling down again with a nice girl, and to that end they try to set him up with the Rabbi's daughter "Gabby" (Madeline Weinstein) but somehow we just know that this solution that would please friends and family alike isn't likely to be the one he goes for. It's not especially innovative, this film - we've seen this sort of drama often before. What this does, though, is entertainingly take a look at the contractions of tradition and at belligerence. It invites us to consider what makes people happy, why age matters, and two dinner scenario towards the end provide for quite an effective conduit for true colours to come out and judgements to be delivered. It's comedic rather than a comedy - there aren't any laugh-out-loud moments; with the writing quite potent at times and an enjoyable rapport developing between the two characters uncertain of their next move. Kane steals this with her delicate delivery of a strong yet venerable persona, and although it does strive to contrive once or twice, it's still quite an enjoyable look at hypocrisy and faith and kosher burgers.
The burdens of rules, conventions and traditions can weigh heavily on us, especially when they’re not serving us, allowing us to be ourselves or taking much of the joy out of life. The impact can affect us in many ways, too, including emotionally, psychologically, spiritually, physically and socially. So it is for Benjamin Gottlieb (Jason Schwartzman), a disillusioned forty-something cantor/Bat Mitzvah instructor at a conservative synagogue north of New York. He’s experiencing a crisis of faith as a result of the rough year he’s recently undergone, having lost his wife and now facing the prospect of losing his voice (and his livelihood). He’s also had to move in with his two well-meaning but overbearing mothers (Caroline Aaron, Dolly De Leon), who perpetually try to fix him up with new romantic interests. His boss, Rabbi Bruce (Robert Smigel), has also tried playing matchmaker, trying to connect Ben with his aggressively randy daughter, Gabby (Madeline Weinstein). But these efforts only place even more pressure on him, pushing hm to the brink. Strangely enough, though, circumstances begin turning around when he has a chance encounter with his quirky retired grade school music teacher, Carla Kessler (Carol Kane). She’s anxious to become one of Ben’s Bat Mitzvah students, given that she was denied this rite of passage in her youth. He reluctantly begins instructing her, but he soon starts learning as much from her as she does from him, most notably how to let loose, be himself and enjoy life, traits that others look down upon him for when he breaks with expectations. Nevertheless, considering their respective mindsets, this relationship netween Ben and Carla proves to be exactly what they each need. Writer-director Nathan Silver’s latest feature provides us with a touching, irreverent look at how to live a life that’s both spiritually and secularly fulfilling in the face of oppressing outside influences, particularly when it comes to knowing when to follow and when to break the rules. The protagonist’s unconventional odyssey takes him – and viewers – down an array of unexpected paths, with lots of laughs and eccentric experiences. Unfortunately, there are times when the filmmaker takes matters a little too far, infusing the narrative with a few too many different storytelling approaches and filming styles, making the picture overall somewhat disjointed and incoherent. These inventive attempts at originality, while certainly commendable, tend to get in the way of yielding a cohesive storyline, regardless of the many chuckles they evoke. The duo of Schwartzman and Kane, backed by a fine ensemble of supporting players, valiantly endeavor to make the material work, sometimes successfully, sometimes futilely. The sentiments explored here are indeed noble, and the film’s commitment to an unanticipated approach to its subject matter is truly laudable, but the creators seriously should have reined themselves in more than they have here. Doing so would have made for a better movie, not to mention greater clarity on an important life lesson from which we could all stand to benefit.
