46 | AUGUST 22 • 2024 J
N
THREE GOOD FILMS — ONE
MAY BE A JEWISH CLASSIC
Three good films open in theaters
this week. If you can’t make the
theater showing, do make a note
to watch them when they begin
streaming.
Last January, I wrote the
following three paragraphs about
Between the Temples, a comedy-
drama: “[It] made its worldwide
premiere at the Sundance
Film Festival on Jan. 18. Every
review was a rave — Hollywood
Reporter, Variety, Deadline,
Vulture. I’ve never seen reviews
like this for a ‘little’ Jewish movie.
“This film appears to be that
elusive thing — an independent
film that is very Jewish, but
completely works in many, many
ways. Jason Schwartzman,
41, plays a cantor who is
devasted by his wife’s death.
He doesn’t lose his faith but is
very depressed and stops being
an active cantor. Then he runs
into his former music teacher
(Carol Kane, 71). He tutors her
for her late-in-life bat mitzvah. He
also has an intimate relationship
with her. Somehow this odd
couple works.
“Their relationship doesn’t
please the cantor’s two (gay)
Jewish mothers. They have a nice
Jewish girl about the cantor’s age
who they want him to date.”
The good news is that Between
the Temples will open in theaters
on Aug. 23. Here are some
important credits/info not in my
short January item.
The film’s star, Jason
Schwartzman, is the (secular) son
of the late Jack Schwartzman,
a producer, and actress Talia
Shire, the sister of Francis Ford
Coppola.
The supporting cast includes
Caroline Aaron, 72 (best known
for roles in Mike Nichols and
Woody Allen movies); Matthew
Shear, 39 (The Alienist TV series),
and comedy writer/comedy actor
Robert Smigel, 65. I know that
Aaron plays one of the cantor’s
mothers; Shear, I think, plays
Carol Kane’s adult son; and
Smigel plays a rabbi.
Between was written and
directed by Nathan Silverman,
40, a Brooklyn native who has
made 12 indie films since 2009.
Several have gotten pretty good
reviews, but none has gotten
beyond film festivals screenings.
It appears that the great reviews
for Between got him his first big
theater release and a lot of nice
attention.
Blink Twice, a thriller action
film, opens in theaters on Aug.
23. Capsule plot: A cocktail
waitress (Naomi Ackie) becomes
infatuated with a tech mogul
(Channing Tatum), and travels
with him to his private island,
where things begin to go
wrong. Simon Rex, 49, has a big
supporting role.
The film was directed by and
co-written by Zoe Kravitz (Blink
is the first film she has directed).
She is the daughter of rock star
Lenny Kravitz and actress Lisa
Bonet, 56. She is engaged to
Channing Tatum.
Lenny’s late father was Jewish,
and Bonet’s mother was Jewish.
As an adult, Lenny opted to
identify as a Christian. Bonet’s
beliefs are “murky.” Zoe defines
herself as a “secular Jew.”
Zoe, 35, has starred in many hit
films and TV series. They include
the Divergent film trilogy; the
HBO series Big Little Lies; and
High Fidelity, a Hulu series.
Back in May, Greedy People, a
film, was listed as being released
on May 16. My column item about
this movie went to publication
before the theater release date
was changed. It opens now
on Aug. 23. Below is a shorter
repeat of what I wrote.
Greedy is a comedic crime
thriller. This smallish budget indie
film was written and directed by
Potsy Ponciroli. He also directed
and wrote Old Henry (2021), an
acclaimed, small-budget Western
film that unexpectedly made a lot
of money. It had a clever premise:
Billy the Kid (played by Tim Blake
Nelson, 60) wasn’t killed in New
Mexico (age 21). He moved far
away, took a new name (Henry),
and lived the life of a family man
and a small-time rancher.
Variety liked Greedy People,
saying: “[It] should please fans
of wry crime yarns like the Coen
Brothers Fargo and the edgy and
smart small-screen outings such
as Breaking Bad and Better Call
Saul.”
A more complete summary
of the Greedy People premise
has emerged since last May.
Here goes: The film is set on a
small island. As Greedy begins,
Will, a rookie police officer, and
his rogue veteran partner, Terry
(Joseph Gordon-Levitt, 43) find
$1 million near a crime scene on
the island. They decide to steal
the money — but other island
residents somehow hear about
the money, and they try to get
it first. The cash-mad include
a masseur (Simon Rex) and a
shrimp company owner (Tim
Blake Nelson).
NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST
CELEBRITY NEWS
ARTS&LIFE
HARALD KRICHEL
Jason Schwartzman
Carol Kane
GREG2600
Zoe Kravitz
DVNA CREATIVE AGENCY
Joseph Gordon-Levitt
WIKIPEDIA/STEVE JENNINGS/GETTY IMAGES FOR TECHCRUNCH