Ben (Jason Schwartzman) is a forty-something cantor losing his voice and possibly his faith. Struggling to meet the expectations of his rabbi, congregation, and not one but two Jewish mothers, Ben finds his world turned upside down when Carla, his grade school music teacher, re-enters his life as an adult bar mitzvah student.
I found Nathan Silver’s comic drama quite hard to pin down. Some of it is quite perceptive and there are a few quite funny moments. Other times, it feels self indulgently quirky and awkward.
Schwartzman captures Ben’s indecision and processing of grief well, but it is hard to understand why he seems irresistible to women. Carol Kane is wonderful as Carla and Madeline Weinstein beguiling as Gabby, the Rabbi’s daughter who falls for Ben.
Rating: 6.5 out of 10