Between the Temples

Ben Gottlieb (Jason Schwartzman) is a socially awkward cantor. He runs out of his synagogue and tries to kill himself. Of course, he awkwardly fails and goes to a bar. He doesn't know what to order and starts drinking mudslides. He gets ridiculed by a bully and knocked out. His childhood teacher Carla Kessler (Carol Kane) comes to his aid. Later, she wants his help with her bat mitzvah. Her father was Jewish but she never was.

This is a lot of quirky without much actual laughs. Schwartzman is uncomfortable and weird. The second-hand embarrassment is extremely high in this one. I do love her family restaurant outing. His one crazy move during his family dinner is truly crazy. It is outlandishly crazy as a man without any social skills. The meat and cheese scene could have been funny, but the closeup of Schwartzman eating is too gross. This movie pushes awkward comedy too far and the leads manage to save this with their charms.