While his first directing/writing feature, When You Finish Saving the World (2022) met with some very mixed reception, Jesse Eisenberg’s latest, A Real Pain, is a hilarious, heartfelt, soul-touching 90 minutes exploring grief (past and present). It’s indicative of a strong presence for Eisenberg both on (Zombieland) and off screen. Doing a “buddy” movie about one’s ancestry and the Holocaust is something so daring and bold that it has to be handled so carefully to avoid being offensive and wrong, but the way Eisenberg crafts his script, directs, and has the entire cast come together results in something special, shining a light on something horrible using a fastidious hand, which is rarely done, and even more rarely done with such beauty and taste.
L-R: Kieran Culkin as Benji and Jesse Eisenberg as David in A REAL PAIN. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
The movie focuses on the neurotic David Kaplan (Jesse Eisenberg) as he is trying to get a hold of his much more relaxed cousin Benji Kaplan (Kieran Culkin) as they’re about to meet at the airport to travel to Poland. This trip is so they can reconnect after the unfortunate passing of their grandmother and visit her home where she grew up in Poland to explore their ancestry. They go on a tour of Poland that focuses on Jewish heritage that is led by James (Will Sharpe) and are accompanied by Mark (Daniel Oreskes), Diane (Liza Sadovy), Marcia (Jennifer Grey), and Eloge (Kurt Egyiawan). While everyone on this trip wants to pay respect to those who came before them, they all feel like this is just an exercise in respect more than anything, however, Benji cannot disassociate and separate the fact that they’re tied to their history. This sets off a series of events of tensions, disassociation, and barriers for everyone to overcome throughout their journeys as Benji is the only one who cannot separate the past from themselves.
L-R: Kieran Culkin as Benji, Jennifer Gray as Marcia, Jesse Eisenberg as David, Kurt Egyiawan as Eloge, David Oreskes as Mark, and Will Sharpe as James in A REAL PAIN, Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
While everyone on the tour, even David, wants to just take in what they’re experiencing and the history that is presented in front of them, Benji is deeply mourning his grandmother and cannot break his mourning. Juxtaposing his heartbreak and pain though, he tries to embrace the history and make this journey of mourning and pain something more uplifting to prove that they won, that they’re still here — something David is adamantly against because of his perception of what the tour should be. The butting of heads between David and Benji and a cataclysmic revelation make A Real Pain a watch that will linger and break the hearts of the audience.
L-R: Kieran Culkin as Benji and Jesse Eisenberg as David in A REAL PAIN. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
For a film like this, the lead performances must be so fleshed out and well performed that there is no question about the authenticity of the experience these characters are going through, and makes them understandable, relatable, and down-to-Earth. Thankfully, Culkin (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) and Eisenberg are effortlessly flawless, capturing the mourning of their characters’ passed grandmother while embracing the history that comes with their heritage and what brought them on the trip in the first place. Their ability to convey emotion through Eisenberg’s script or their body language speaks volumes, and the silence and non-verbal performances delivered by both capture everything effortlessly. Will Sharpe (The House) and Kurt Egyiawan (Beasts of No Nation), in the supporting cast, bring new levels to their performances as well and create a deeper, richer story for the audience to get lost in. This is truly an ensemble- and character-driven film that excels at creating a world of anxiety and grief.
L-R: Jesse Eisenberg as David and Kieran Culkin as Benji in A REAL PAIN. Photo Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
A Real Pain is a rare example of an exploration of bereavement that has a lens on a historical element and one that works so effortlessly to capture the stages of grief. Eisenberg proves he has a strong hand behind the camera and on the pen while also giving one of his best and nuanced performances to date. Culkin, as well, is a tour de force in his performance, with Sharpe, Grey (Dirty Dancing), Sadovy (Disobedience), Oreskes (The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)), and Egyiawan rounding out the fantastic ensemble. A Real Pain is the real deal, an honest, raw, though-provoking masterpiece.
In select theaters November 1st, 2024.
Wide release November 15th, 2024.
For more information, head to the official Searchlight Pictures A Real Pain webpage.
Final Score: 4 out of 5.
Share this:
Categories: In Theaters, Reviews
Leave a Reply