Edward Norton is, hands down, the best young actor in Hollywood today. His performances range from some of the most brilliant of the 90s, in American History X, Fight Club, and Primal Fear, to other similarly excellent ones in People Vs. Larry Flynt and Rounders. Every one of the films on his short résumé (except a musical he did, Woody Allen's Everyone Says I Love You) at least received honorable mention on my list of the best films of the 90s.
Then, in 1999, Norton took the director's chair and developed the romantic comedy, Keeping the Faith. I am here to say that Mr. Norton needs to stick to finding gritty, complicated dramatic (though he is hilarious, in a dark sense, in Fight Club) characters to portray, and stay away from the director's seat in the future. Keeping the Faith is not a bad film at all. But when compared to any of Norton's previous work, it plays like a black mark on a perfect record.
Jake Schram (Ben Stiller) and Brian Finn (Norton) are lifelong friends who took very similar yet, oh so different, career paths. Both with strong convictions to their respective faith, Jake grows up to become a rabbi, while Brian becomes a priest.
As children, the two of them found a best friend in Anna Riley, but she moved away during the eighth grade. Early in the film, a grown up Anna gives them a call, informing them that she is on her way back to New York, and she wants to get together with them. No, she has not become a nun. Anna (Jenna Elfman) has grown into a beautiful and very successful businesswoman. Jake and Brian, both single, are instantly infatuated with her. Anna is eager to return their affection, though many complications obviously ensue from their religious differences.
Even as a rabbi, Jake is known as being one of the most eligible bachelors in town. In one of the film's many running gags, all the mothers in Jake's congregation are constantly setting him up with their all-too-eager daughters. Brian, on the other hand, has taken a vow of celibacy, and, to Anna's surprise, has not had much difficulty sticking to it.
Norton's direction style is solid, but he made one major production flaw. His film continues to lose steam as it drags well over the usual romantic comedy length of about an hour and a half, clocking in at over two hours.
Norton, Elfman, and especially Stiller are all more than capable of making very funny films. On the romantic side, however, though the script calls for it, they never generate any convincing romantic chemistry.
Although Norton is certainly one of the best actors working in Hollywood today, and Ben Stiller is one of the best comedic actors as he has proven in There's Something About Mary and Zero Effect, neither is able to reach their potential with the worn out material they work with here. For romantic comedy addicts, Keeping the Faith will keep you entertained and is better than your average fare, but fans of Norton and Stiller will be disappointed with the lack of depth or substance their recent choice afforded them.
6 out of 10.
Rated PG-13 for some sexuality and language
DVD Extras: Included on this DVD are eight or nine deleted scenes, a few of which (especially a sexually charged cell phone gag) provide some of the funniest material on the DVD. These scenes can be seen with or without commentary from Norton. Also included is an eight minute gag reel, a feature which all new comedy films should include. Norton also provides a full length commentary for the film, though I would be much more interested in this feature if Stiller and/or Elfman had participated. Since I rented the DVD, I did not have time to check out the commentary. Based on his insightful and very funny commentary for Fight Club, I am sure it is worth checking out for fans of the film. If you saw and enjoyed this hit and miss romantic comedy in the theater, the DVD is well worth checking out for its vast array of supplemental material.
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