Product: Keeping the Faith (2000)
Rating: 4.0
Affable and innocent. Runs a bit too long.
Edward Norton burst on the scene by playing a psychopathic killer in 1996's Primal Fear. His reputation was secured afterwards by his performances as a reformed neo-Nazi in American History X and as the nameless narrator in Fight Club. it is perhaps not so surprising that he chose to balance this tendency towards seriousness by choosing a romantic comedy for his first directorial job. The result is Keeping the Faith, an affable and charming movie whose main fault is its rather long running time. This is a weakness common among actors turned director. It was probably inevitable that Norton should also do this, as his best friend, Stuart Blumberg, wrote the script. More on that later.Brian Finn and Jake Scram [Norton and Ben Stiller] have been friends since childhood. Brian is an Irish Catholic lad, while Jake is a Jew. In the marvelous melting pot that is New York City, this is not at all an uncommon union. What turns out to be unusual is that Brain becomes a priest and Jake a rabbi. When they were kids, there was a third best pal, a girl named Anna Riley [Jenna Elfman]. She moved away in the eighth grade and eventually became but a memory. In the first part of the movie, Anna returns to New York and hooks up with her old buddies. She has become a beautiful and successful young woman. Jake and Brian are both smitten, and therein lies the crux of the comedy. Brian, of course, has his vow of chastity, which until Anna's arrival seems to have not been a problem for him. As for Jake, his congregation assumes that this most eligible bachelor will choose a nice Jewish girl. There is a lot of pressure on Jake, who is barraged by mothers pushing their daughters on him. In one of the movie's funniest scenes, Jake's date with Ali Decker [Lisa Edelstein] turns into one that he will never forget. How will Brian and Jake resolve the Anna dilemma, which threatens both their friendship and their careers? Isn't this a no win situation for all three?One of the movie's big advantages is that Edward Norton and Stuart Blumberg really are an Irish kid and a Jewish one being best friends. They are New Yorkers and have lived together for several years. As a result, they were able to find New York locations rarely seen on film. This give the picture a fresh look and also makes the city look much more livable than it often does. The acting is first rate, as you would expect. Norton does have a flair for comedy, although he needs to work a bit on the physical aspects of it. Ben Stiller is one of the funniest men alive, and Jenna Elfman departs for once from her famous television persona. The running time of over two hours is excessive for this type of entertainment and slows the film down, but it does not ruin it by any means. It is simply something Norton should be aware of on his next project.Perhaps the best thing about Keeping the Faith is its innocence. Lately there have been a number of often good but quite cynical comedies. It is godd to see one where you can laugh at your fellow man and still feel great about the human race.