Jason Schwartzman plays a cantor who’s lost his ability to sing. Carol Kane shows up to request a bat mitzvah at her extended age. She also happened to be his elementary school music teacher and their rekindled relationship becomes the focus of the film. Fortunately, their chemistry is solid, thanks primarily to Kane’s continual charm, while Schwartzman handles the neurotic angle. Meanwhile, the supporting cast includes two women who play his mothers, Dolly De Leon (best known for Triangle of Sadness) and Richmond’s own Caroline Aaron (here’s a link to the podcast I did with her about The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel). There are occasional moments of humor, some of which land, but many more moments of awkwardness. Director Nathan Silver has shot much of the film in uncomfortable, sometimes wobbly close-ups, which gets in the way more than adds depth to their performances. Ultimately, the film is flawed, but the underlying affection between the leads and the sometimes amusing observations of Jewish traditions create an uneven but winsome romance. 
(3 / 5)
