Between the Temples

• Director: Nathan Silver
• Writers: C. Mason Wells, Nathan Silver
• Starring: Jason Schwartzman, Carol Kane, Dolly De Leon, Robert Smigel, Madeline Weinstein

Grade: B-

There’s a great deal of comedy to be found in the very idea of organized religion. Between the Temples focuses on one man’s crisis of Jewish faith and how he unintentionally passes it on to others, often leading to comically obtuse situations. Director and co-writer Nathan Silver takes a lo-fi, Christopher Guest-ian approach to the film, with quick banter, and improv heavy dialogue to mixed results. It’s a film which hinges on the strengths of its leads, Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane but, at nearly two hours long, it quickly runs out of steam to sustain itself to the end.

The Instigators

• Director: Doug Liman
• Writers: Chuck MacLean, Casey Affleck
• Starring: Matt Damon, Casey Affleck, Hong Chau, Ron Perlman, Ving Rhames, Michael Stuhlbarg, Alfred Molina, Toby Jones, Paul Walter Hauser, Jack Harlow

Grade: C

Just as Paul Thomas Anderson’s films will forever be tied to the San Fernando Valley, and just as Martin Scorsese’s films will forever be tied to Queens, New York, Matt Damon and Casey Affleck will never be able to shake their association with the city of Boston. In theory, it makes perfect sense to pair them together in Doug Liman’s Beantown-based buddy-crime action-comedy film The Instigators – though perhaps there should have been a better reason for them to be with one another. The duo get put through the paces in a by-the-numbers caper that has enough fun, but should have been much more fun than the end result.