Au nom d'Anna

"Keeping the Faith" is just hip enough to breathe some fresh air into a stagnating genre without sacrificing the requisite "feel good" moments in the process. The film's 2+ hour run time is a bit long for it's simple plot, but it manages to stay focused and dish up enough creativity to make it time well spent. A very enjoyable fun flick.

The picture is a romance story between three friends, a Catholic priest Brian(Edward Norton), a rabbi Jake(Ben Stiller) and a gorgeous girl(Jenna Elfman),she is an old childhood friend and now she returns to New York city and the friendship is re-established. The two male friends fall in love with the enticing executive, creating themselves a loving triangle. Jake is in a traditional congregation that want him married with a good Jewish woman but is the fact which his mother(Anne Bancroft) disapproved to his brother for marrying with a non Jewish .Jake is a little worried about his future and he's out step,out of place and desperately looking for a fiancée with numerous suitors(Rena Sofer) The problems are when Brian cannot break his vow of celibacy and Jake cannot marry but isn't Jewish . We never met a pair as liking as Stiller and Norton.They along with Jenna Elfman are agreeable,enticing and enjoyable.The film has great load of amusement,fun,giggles,chuckles and is very entertained.Besides there are a brief exploration about Jewish way of life, making a slight exposition of the rites ,ceremonies ,habits, religion and the Tora .Although the screenplay sounds some ridiculous and absurd ,the plot is well developed and has surprises and its good moments here and there. Nice and cheerful music score by the classic Elmer Berstein(Seven magnificent,Age of innocence).Direction by Edward Norton captures the special excitement or mood protagonists and scenarios. The flick will like to romantic comedy enthusiastic. Rating: Nice and Well worth watching.

Edward Norton's Keeping the Faith is a well meaning a good hearted comedy about boyhood to adulthood loves and different faiths in the cross fire. For first time director Norton this is a good example of what one can do when he is not shaving his head or getting into fights (j/k).

The film stars Ben Stiller as rabbi Jake with some nice tones of comedy in his weekly services and Norton plays priest Brian (Stiller's best friend) that means well. They both love their childhood friend-girl Anne, who when she grows up (Jenna Elfman) becomes the apple of both their eyes. It goes around for a while, and it turns out to be funny and expectable results. Still, good effort by Director Norton, script-writer Stewart Blumberg, and the cast for pulling this through. A

"Keeping the Faith" as an adult romantic comedy works well. Norton's timing, both as a director and as an actor are magnificent, and Stiller and Elfman add to this shining cast. The approach to religion in a mainstream film is a new one for me at least with deference being paid to each of the respective character's, and the jokes are basically laughing with the religion, rather than at it. The inner struggles that each man faces with his own religion and the woman that threatens to tear apart their religious selves are the most interesting aspects of the film.

The first half is a comedic gem, a laugh-barrage, that completely changes once sex is introduced. It loses focus, changing its story into that of a failing friendship and blossoming love interspersed with awkward and frankly embarrassing moments of comedy. For those who have seen it I refer to the "touchy-feely confession" joke.

At over two hours, it's way too long for a comedy, and it definitely feels it. It's a good film, but by no means can it be considered great. See it to laugh for an hour if you don't mind chuckling and fidgeting in your seat for the second hour.

This is a pretty good film and I think it hits perfectly the things we all want in life. Great friends and significant others. It is just a beautiful film which I must say (for a comedy) and a Ben Stiller film is pretty jokeless. Good acting, good directing a good story and good everything. There was one thing that was great though. The way Edward Norton used Faith in this film. Never have I seen so much depictions of Faith in a film and actually enjoyed it. I don't believe in church and stuff, but these two clergymen are way beyond cool, they ROCK!

7 out of 10

Note: this review has been amended to remove some sexist comments I included at the time. Apologies for any offence caused. I was young and stupid at the time, thinking I was being 'cool'.