Film Review: “A Real Pain” | Features

5 stars

By Joseph Beyer | December 14, 2024

It’s been 15 years since actor Jesse Eisenberg came to the cinema: first in the cult classic Zombieland and then the more famous depiction of the founder of Facebook in The social network. The latter earned him nominations at the 2010 Golden Globes and Academy Awards and brought him out of obscurity.

Most artists would settle for a career collecting paychecks from studios and polishing their trophies, but Eisenberg has taken a different route, mixing occasional popcorn fare with fiercely independent films and projects (including, most recently, the role of a humanoid beast in “Brilliant”) Sasquatch sunset).

In 2022 he was behind the camera for his directorial debut When you’re done saving the worlda black comedy that Eisenberg wrote and directed for A24 Films, with lackluster results. In her review The New York Times called it “for better or worse, the film you’d expect” from the complex actor and sometimes playwright.

Eisenberg stayed true to form and continued to fight. And rather than give up his career as a director, he returned to the new beginning and began working on the script that would become “A Real Pain.” His latest project earned him critical acclaim for his writing, directing, producing and co-starring roles. I agree with all the awards.

A real pain is a buddy comedy, so to speak, in which two unlikely cousins ​​reunite as they travel to Poland to pay tribute to their family history after the death of their grandmother, a Holocaust survivor. It’s sensitive territory, but not the tragic narrative you’d expect from a film about traveling through concentration camps.

This is largely due to the outstanding chemistry between Eisenberg and his co-star Kieran Culkin (himself another fascinating performer, best known for his starring role in the recent series). Consequence).

Eisenberg plays David, a reserved, rule-following man navigating his new life as a husband and father while trying to stay safe between the lines. Culkin plays Benji, his wild child counterpart, who lives life spontaneously and feels everything deeply. Although linked by blood, the cousins ​​are polar opposites in style and substance, and so each must adapt to the other while simultaneously grieving the loss of their grandmother and reckoning with the pain of confronting the past.

As their journey progresses, they develop unexpected bonds with their guide and their group – and ultimately with each other. In this story, everyone processes the sadness and joy of human comedy together. It’s an impressive feat from an ensemble of performances that are often quiet, thoughtful and heartbreaking. Eisenberg said parts of the film were inspired by his own family history.

The struggle to understand the past while enjoying the present is real, and you will feel it here. What I think you will also experience is a story about honesty and inner life, told in a captivating style that is effortless and fresh. Far from being indulgent, the film is fast-paced and remarkably concise, with a running time of just 1 hour and 30 minutes. Bravo.

It’s all very wonderful and unexpected and different, deserved A real pain All the credit it deserves and building anticipation for what Eisenberg will dream up next.

A Real Pain was released by Fox Searchlight and rated R for adult language and smoking joints on Polish rooftops. It is playing exclusively in theaters but is expected to be available on video-on-demand and streaming services in January 2025.