Few actors have made their mark as quickly as Edward Norton. He seemed to come out of nowhere with his sinister turn as a schizophrenic in Primal Fear. Since, he's turned up as the crusading lawyer in The People Vs. Larry Flynt, a reformed skinhead in American History X, a sleazy gambler in Rounders, and an overworked insomniac in Fight Club. There have been more but those are the most notable. Now, Norton makes his directorial debut with Keeping the Faith, a romantic comedy that only works part of the time.

Norton and Ben Stiller play a Priest and a Rabbi who are reunited with a childhood friend (Jenna Elfman) whom they haven't seen in years. Stiller's faith is put to the test when he falls for Elfman. What follows is a series of sitcom scenarios that seem to be lifted from Three's Company.

The three leads are likable, although Norton does strive for a lot of physical comedy--not his forte--which becomes tiresome. The screenplay was written by Stuart Numberg (an old college buddy of Norton's) and it lacks the timing a good comedy needs. However, there are some points of interest. I liked the struggle Stiller encounters when he must choose between his beliefs and the woman he loves. I also appreciated the fact that Norton and Stiller teach their beliefs in an interesting and entertaining way, showing that religion doesn't have to be such a stuffy ritual.

Keeping the Faith really falters because it tries to be a romantic comedy and it isn't at all romantic. It also attempts to be humorous, but isn't really all that funny. This is an overly long, and unfocused film with extremely likable actors and only hints of intelligence. The film's strongest scenes involve Milos Foreman (the director) and Anne Bancroft. These veterans could probably make any scene come alive.

With Keeping the Faith, Norton has stumbled a bit. Still, he is one of our finest actors and I have no doubt that he'll bounce back in a big way.