Written & Directed By Jesse Eisenberg; Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Kieran Culkin, Will Sharpe, Jennifer Grey, Kurt Egyiawan, Liza Sadovy, and Daniel Oreskes.
A Real Pain follows David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) Kaplan, a pair of mismatched cousins. They reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd couple's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. This marks veteran actor Jesse Eisenberg's second feature film as writer and director following 2022's When You Finish Saving the World.
As director, Eisenberg manages to balance out the tone pretty well. Sometimes, it’s funny when it needs to be. Other times, it’s heartfelt when it needs to be. Credit for that must also be attributed to editor Robert Nassu, who also has the whole thing paced perfectly. Not to mention that this has some smart selections of pre-existing classical music used as the soundtrack. As screenwriter, he crafts such a stunning story of how opposites attract. Something that is always relevant in life. Even relatives who are nothing like each other can still be there for one another.
The principal cast consists of 7 people. Five of whom are characters David and Benji join on their tour of Poland. Yet the relationship between the latter two really is the heart and soul of this movie. Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin share such endearing onscreen chemistry together. Individually, they both give compelling performances. Eisenberg makes for quite a relatable everyman while Culkin is a burst of energy. Watching them reminded me of how quite a few members of my family are almost nothing like me, but I still respect and care for them.
It’s no secret that we all live in an imperfect world. There’s always something serious going on every single day. Although every once in a while, we could always use a reminder of the more joyful things in life. A Real Pain does just that with its themes of family. Anyone with a heart looking to feel good should definitely see this. As for those who don’t have a heart nor want to feel good, maybe watching this will transform you to the opposite side.
Rating: 4.5/5
A Real Pain follows David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) Kaplan, a pair of mismatched cousins. They reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd couple's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. This marks veteran actor Jesse Eisenberg's second feature film as writer and director following 2022's When You Finish Saving the World.
As director, Eisenberg manages to balance out the tone pretty well. Sometimes, it’s funny when it needs to be. Other times, it’s heartfelt when it needs to be. Credit for that must also be attributed to editor Robert Nassu, who also has the whole thing paced perfectly. Not to mention that this has some smart selections of pre-existing classical music used as the soundtrack. As screenwriter, he crafts such a stunning story of how opposites attract. Something that is always relevant in life. Even relatives who are nothing like each other can still be there for one another.
The principal cast consists of 7 people. Five of whom are characters David and Benji join on their tour of Poland. Yet the relationship between the latter two really is the heart and soul of this movie. Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin share such endearing onscreen chemistry together. Individually, they both give compelling performances. Eisenberg makes for quite a relatable everyman while Culkin is a burst of energy. Watching them reminded me of how quite a few members of my family are almost nothing like me, but I still respect and care for them.
It’s no secret that we all live in an imperfect world. There’s always something serious going on every single day. Although every once in a while, we could always use a reminder of the more joyful things in life. A Real Pain does just that with its themes of family. Anyone with a heart looking to feel good should definitely see this. As for those who don’t have a heart nor want to feel good, maybe watching this will transform you to the opposite side.
Rating: 4.5/5