A Real Pain

 

“Our grandma was from here, so Dave arranged for us to join this geriatric Polish tour with you fine people.”

Earnest, empathetic and hilarious, A Real Pain is a heartfelt and humorous heritage tour of two cousins played brilliantly by writer/director Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin, as they explore their Jewish roots and their own personal experiences in a poignant pilgrimage that’s deeply personal and profoundly amusing in its exploration of intergenerational trauma and healing. 

Discussion Points:

I’ve been hearing great things about this all year since it premiered at Sundance back in January - but I still wasn’t expecting to be this blown away. Jesse Eisenberg pulls triple duties here as director - writer - lead actor - and excels at all three. What a brilliantly, beautifully and hilariously direct screenplay that so empathetically examines the human condition and the pain of intergenerational trauma and power of familial healing. Culkin and Eisenberg play two cousins, Benji and Dave, who grew up almost as brothers but have drifted apart as one moved on with life whilst the other remained stuck in arrested development. For Benji, this trip is to honour their grandmother, but for Dave it’s also an opportunity to reconnect with Benji who his concern has grown for. By pilgrimaging through Poland, the film also explores the history of the Jewish people in Eastern Europe, and as director, Eisenberg manages to perfectly balance and pace tones, given appropriate depth and pause to moments of deep historical pain, whilst also still alleviating the tension with crackling comedic dialogue. A strong contender for Best Original Screenplay and Supporting Actor, that I’d love to see in Best Picture and even Actor if it remains thin. Loved this!