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Keeping
the Faith
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Edward Norton has made no secret of the fact that he enjoys being a creative collaborator on the films in which he acts. On The People vs Larry Flynt (1996), Milos Forman let him improvise dialogue and suggest ideas in the editing room. In the case of American History X (1998), Norton was instrumental in reshaping the film, somewhat at variance with the wishes of the director, Tony Kaye. It was inevitable that Norton would himself graduate to the director's chair. Curiously, and perhaps wisely, he has chosen a lightweight, romantic comedy to launch his new career, rather than the heavy dramas he so often picks as an actor. Keeping the Faith has a cute, almost high-concept premise. Father Brian (Norton) and Rabbi Jake (Ben Stiller) have been best friends since childhood. When their mutual pal from the old days, Anna (Jenna Elfman), turns up in their New York turf, sparks begin to fly. For Brian, such stirrings of desire are catastrophic. For Jake, the problem is a little different: members of his congregation are forever trying to match him with a bride, but the prospect of a non-Jewish girlfriend is unthinkable. Anna's own feelings in the matter prompt a precarious web of deception, secrecy and misunderstanding. Beyond figuring out this triangle, Keeping the Faith devotes its energy to making Brian and Jake into cool, showbiz preachers. They strut down the street like pop stars and give sermons jazzed up with jokes and songs. There hasn't been such a grandiose attempt at good vibrations since Barbra Streisand captivated her literature class in The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996). Norton controls, ably enough, the flurry of times, places and moods that structure this modest, throwaway piece. Anne Bancroft, Ron Rifkin and even Milos Forman lend charm to secondary roles. Stiller, however, is a problem: a comic performer in the mode of Bill Murray, his veneer of ironic self-consciousness is so thick that one cannot believe the character – or his dilemma – for a minute. © Adrian Martin June 2000 |
