Rating: 
Summary: hit and miss comedy
Review: Edward Norton's directorial debut, "Keeping the Faith" dishes out one of those plots that only Hollywood - in its desperation to bring a fresh approach to a stale genre - would ever dare to come up with. In this love triangle with a "twist," Ben Stiller, Edward Norton and Jenna Elfman portray a trio of best friends who grew up together on the streets of New York City, but who were separated in adolescence when Anna moved away with her family to California. The unique aspect of this particular triumvirate is that, while Anna has been away on the west coast forging a lucrative career in business for herself, Brian has become a priest and Jake has become a rabbi. Now all three are in their '30 and Anna has decided to pay her "buddies" a visit - a move that sets the story up for all the interpersonal and emotional complications that are practically de rigueur for a "Jules and Jim" scenario of this sort. Given the rather incredible nature of the premise, "Keeping the Faith" still manages to generate some interest with the uniqueness of its religious context. Like most American movies that attempt to deal with issues of spirituality and religion, "Keeping the Faith" spends most of its time batting away at the edges of the topic rather than getting right in there and really opening up the subject for us. Indeed, very few commercial American films are even willing to tackle or explore in any great depth the role that religion and spirituality play in the lives of people, so we should at least give "Keeping the Faith" credit for trying. Of course, much of the tension in the film is supposed to be generated by the fact that one point of this triangle (the priest, Brian) has pulled himself out of the equation - or has he? But if the truth be told, the love triangle, which takes center stage in the film, is actually far less interesting than the issues of faith, of tradition vs. relevance, of spiritual commitment on the part of both clergy and laypeople that the film at least sporadically addresses. Almost inevitably, with a film this lightweight in tone, "Keeping the Faith" seems from time to time to be afflicted with a severe case of the "cutes," particularly when it succumbs to the "golly gee, people of the cloth are just regular folk like the rest of us" syndrome that seems somehow unavoidable in films like this. Thus, despite their clerical status, Jake and Brian cuss, drink alcohol, play basketball, sing karaoke etc. just to show us what regular guys they are. We've seen this sort of religious iconoclasm used for comic effect so many times before that it has long since lost the ability to amuse. Where the film does excel, though, is in its exploration of the issue (faced by many churches and synagogues, no doubt) of whether tradition alone can sustain a viable congregation or whether unorthodox methods may be needed to reach and retain a more "entertainment-oriented" generation of worshippers. Many times in the film, I found myself wishing that the story would concentrate less on the rigmarole surrounding the love triangle itself and more on issues like these. However, even within the confines of the romantic nature of the story, the filmmakers do manage to touch, if only superficially, on the issues of Catholic priest celibacy and interfaith marriages. Stiller, Norton and Elfman give generally naturalistic performances, though none of them are forced to stretch their talents too much in these roles. Interestingly, famed director Milos Forman shows up as a wise old priest who sets Brian straight on the thorny issue of celibacy. "Keeping The Faith" probably would have been a better film had it dealt with the same issues in a less frivolous and trivial context than is provided for them here. Still, we should, I suppose, be thankful that any American film is willing to acknowledge religion and spirituality as part of our lives at all. "Keeping the Faith" is, therefore, well worth checking out.
Rating: 
Summary: Skirts the issue of inter-faith relationships
Review: When I first heard about this movie, I couldn't wait to see it. Ben Stiller and Edward Norton in Norton's directorial debut! I'm soooo there! But then I got a whiff of the promotional campaign for the film and got scared away. And then a friend heartily recommended the film so I did eventually go see it. And my verdict is... is that it's exactly the type of movie promised by the ad posters and trailers. It's all fluff and it does not deal with the issue of inter-faith relationships with any depth. And I thought the last 30 minutes of the movie was never gonna end as it relentlessly maneuvered towards that pointless happy ending. But there are still many enjoyable moments such as the scene with the hilarious karaoke salesman. Ben Stiller is also an absolute hoot and he is, hands-down, the best comedic actor working in movies today. He is extremely watchable and is worth the price of admission (well, maybe on a Tuesday night) on his own. And there is enough jokes in this film to fill an excellent 90 minute movie. Too bad the film is actually 130 minutes.
Rating: 
Summary: Surprisingly good
Review: I have to admit I started watching this movie with a less than positive attitude. My previous encounters with Ben Stiller was either getting certain appendages stuck in zippers or having crocodilian's crispy heads removed geek style. I recognized Jenna Elfman from [Krippendorf's Tribe (1998) ASIN: 6304938748]. So I was ready for some wasted film. After holding my breath and waiting for it to hit. I soon realized that this was a well put together movie with a good story plot and excellent execution. I was amazed at the people that were in this movie. Half the time I keep saying "oh look there is" Anne Bancroft, Eli Wallach, and many others. Basic story of three childhood friends. One went away and the other two chose to become (now don't laugh) a priest and a rabbi. The one that went away (Anna Riley) returns as a business executive and has a magnetic personality with accoutrements to match. The fun and the drama is when two and a half become more than friend. How will they and their world react to this? What makes the movie is not the story as much as how it is executed. And it seems that I need to re-evaluate Ben Stiller as he did a fine job with just the minimum of "spectacles, testicles, watch, wallet".
Rating:
Summary: A total fantasy
Review: This is a movie cut out of the mold of a love triangle, with a happy ending after the passing of a crisis. Edward Norton is a priest and Ben Stiller, his best friend is a rabbi. Will the priest break his vows? Will the rabbi marry out of his religion? See this movie to find out! This movie is a fantasy. Stiller plays the type of rabbi, a hip Hollywood filmaking crowd would like to believe exists. In fact, a rabbi who dresses trendily in punk chic and is found out to be serious with a non Jewish romantic interest would not be as tolerated by his congregation as he is in this fictional congregation in New York (and this congregation appears to be traditional, not reform). Thus, the situation created in this movie is very unreal and is for the hopelessly romatic fantasy lover. All in all, the movie is good entertainment following a tried and true romantic comedy formula.
Rating: 
Summary: Hit the nail on the head
Review: Keeping the Faith is a movie that takes a couple of tired, overused Hollywood chliches--the love triangle and the couple who are meant to be together but sadly pushed apart by their inability to verbalize their feelings--and makes them fresh and interesting again simply by not taking them seriously. Norton has assembled a cast (himself, Ben Stiller, and Jenna Elfman) who can take these serious subjects and waltz gracefully through them, so that a movie that could be clunky and too long becomes, instead, a delightfully funny ride through the ups and downs of the Rabbi and the Priest who both love the same woman.
Rating:
Summary: You've got to have faith.
Review: I wasn't sure what to expect out of this movie. The idea of two best friends, one Catholic the other Jewish, growing up to become a priest and a Rabbi sounded appealing. However, the previews for the movie made the film appear to be a slapstick comedy centered around the differences of religion. However, as it turns out, Ed Norton is almost as good a director as he is an actor and prevents the movie from becoming farcical or too serious. The movie revolves around the two said best friends and how they both end up falling in love with the same girl; a girl who used to live in their neighborhood but who is now all grown up, more beautiful than ever, and a top business executive. The film starts out great, examining the friendship and lives of the two friends. However, once the girl from next door shows up, the tone of the movie changes and instead of being a religious comedy examining the close friendship of a rabbi and priest, it becomes a dramatic romance with a few comic moments here and there. Not that the romantic angle isn't interesting, but the heart of this movie isn't about romantic love. The center of this movie is about friendship and faith. All three of the major actors pull off strong performances and Norton continues to amaze with his range as an actor. The film also boosts a strong supporting cast which makes the film even more enjoyable to watch. A great movie overall as long as you have a little bit of faith.
Rating: 
Summary: comedy supposed to be funny
Review: When I hear "priest and rabbi " I expect to hear the joke next. Not in tnis film. Couple funny moments in the begining and boring melodrama for the rest. Why are these guys priest and rabbi but not carpenter and musician? And such great actors like Ben Stiller and Ed Norton look just stupid and pathetic, but not funny. Maybe because of Norton's directing. Also, heroine Jenna Elfman play is unbelievably bad, reminds me Macaulay Culkin in his worst. So save your time and money. This movie neither funny nor smart.
Rating:
Summary: lndnurse
Review: I saw this movie on a flight to Hong Kong, and enjoyed it so much, I bought it upon my return home. Anyone who enjoys a "chick-flick" will love this one! The DVD has so many great extras, and the music is terrific. Everyone...go out and buy this movie! You won't regret it!
Rating:
Summary: A sure to win comedy/romance:
Review: I like ben stiller movies. I recieved this DVD for easter. I now have all his new comides, mary, meet the parents and kepping the faith. This also stars edward norton who did fight club. This movie is about a rabbi(stiller) and a priest(norton) who are in love with the same woman that they grew up with. She returns all grown up. Sparks fly and the comedy come boiling up. This movie had a splash of drama for the serious parts. It's mostly a comedy and romance movie. The DVD has great features. Get it for yourself and enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: Better on DVD than on Video...but only if you LOVE the film
Review: A charming tale about love, faith, and what happens when you mix the two together, Keeping the Faith is one of those films that you will either love because of the extremely likeable characters that you get to know so well, or that you will dislike because it may seem like a formula comedy that runs a bit too long (2 hours, 9 minutes). Personally I loved it for both those reasons. I came to adore all the characters, namely because in each of them I saw frail human qualities that I also shared, and also because Ben Stiller, Jenna Elfman, and Ed Norton all give superb performances that leave you laughing, crying, and laughing once again. And yet, because I loved these characters, I did not want the movie to end and therefore was pleased by its excessive length, and by the additional half an hour of footage on the DVD! The DVD is definitely worth buying if you really liked this film because the extra features are too awesome to resist. TONS of deleted scenes and a LONG production gag reel make this a great one to own, and Edward Norton fans cannot NOT buy this disc because you can even watch the movie with Mr. Norton, aka the director and producer of the film, providing a running commentary on every aspect of the film and the making of it.
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